Several LDF govt ordinances lapse in wait of Kerala governor's approval

Several ordinances, including the Kerala Lokayukta (Amendment) Ordinance, issued by the LDF government lapsed on August 8 as Kerala Governor had not signed them owing to paucity of time

Several ordinances, including the Kerala Lokayukta (Amendment) Ordinance, issued by the LDF government lapsed on August 8 as Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had not signed them owing to paucity of time to go through them, sources said.

The governor has not signed the ordinances which were to expire on August 8 and hence, they have lapsed, they said. The governor, who was in Delhi on Monday and is scheduled to arrive here only on Wednesday, had told reporters that he will not sign the ordinances without applying his mind and for that he needs time. Khan had claimed that the files of the ordinances, set to expire on August 8, were sent to him on the day he was going to travel to the national capital for a meeting of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' committee and therefore, did not have the time to go through all of them. He had also said that ruling through ordinances "is not desirable in a democracy" and he was not going to approve their re-promulgation without going through the ordinances.

"I need time to go through them. I have to apply my mind. Do you want me to sign them without applying my mind? We must uphold the spirit of democracy and ruling through ordinances is not something which is desirable in a democracy," the Governor said. "During certain emergencies, you can bring in an ordinance. Thereafter, it has to be ratified in the assembly session. It cannot happen that you continue promulgating the ordinance again and again. Why is there a Legislative Assembly if you are going to rule through ordinances," Khan had said. In the instant case there is no explanation why such emergency measures should continue, he added. On the other hand, Kerala Law Minister P Rajeeve on Monday afternoon had said that the Governor has not refused to sign the ordinances and the day was not over yet. The minister had said that in the last two sessions, the budget and financial bill were the matters taken up. Rajeeve had also said that even the Left government was against 'ordinance raj' and it had every intention to convene a session for ratifying the ordinances. "There is still time," he had said in response to reporters queries regarding the ordinances set to expire at the end of the day on August 8.

Among the ordinances that expired on August 8, the Kerala Lokayukta (Amendment) Ordinance was one which provided that the Governor, Chief Minister or the state government would be the competent authority and he or it may either accept or reject the declaration by the Lokayukta, after giving an opportunity of being heard. The Congress-led UDF opposition was against the ordinance and had back in February urged the Governor not to sign it.