State legislatures are in a rush, spend little time in scrutinising Bills

Their record in debating and scrutinising legislation and Budgets is weak as Governors are accused of stalling

A landmark Supreme Court judgment in April set a timeline for state Governors to decide on Bills sent to them by legislatures, mandating a response within specific timelines. Last week, President Droupadi Murmu, in a rare move, asked the court whether it can fix timelines for Governors and the President to clear state Bills under Article 201 of the Constitution.

 

The court’s judgment came amid concerns about Governors sitting on legislation and stalling state governments. But if Governors are being blamed for delaying Bills, most state legislatures are in a rush. Many of them have truncated debates, rushed Budget approvals