The Phadnavis government move to rein in directors of mismanaged district cooperative banks from contesting elections is a victim of the legislative gridlock with the opposition parties with majority in the upper house resolving to black the bills, media reports say.
The govt intends to appoint govt nominees for cooperatives by bringing in two bills in the state legislature and sought law department’s advice to overcome the constitutional roadblock.
Following the law department’s advice, the government obtained an approval from Maharashtra Governor to convert these bills into laws.
The govt move is aimed at curbing the influence cooperative heavyweights belonging to the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party exercise over the cooperative sector.
The deadlock in the Upper House had forced the government to reintroduce the bills in the Assembly during the monsoon session in August. But there was no change, despite backroom negotiations.
With a view to overcoming the problem, the Maharashtra Cabinet, taking recourse to Article 197 (2) (b) of the Constitution, deemed approval to convert these bills into laws.
Meanwhile, when the govt sought advice from the state’s law department in the matter it was told Article 197(2) (b) provides for deemed approval of a bill that “had been passed for the second time by the Assembly and transmitted to the Legislative Council and where more than a month had elapsed from the date on which the bill was laid before the council without it being passed by it”.
Former Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other opposition leaders have slammed both the bills calling them “politically motivated”.