SC response to Presidential reference 'deplorable, shocking': CPI(M) General Secretary
New Delhi (PTI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary MA Baby on Thursday said the Supreme Court's response to the Presidential Reference on timelines to grant assent to Bills was "deplorable and shocking".
President Droupadi Murmu had, exercising her power under the rarely used Article 143 (1),
posed 14 crucial questions before the top court over its April 8 verdict, which imposed a three-month deadline for the President and governors on dealing with Bills placed before them for assent, or consideration.
After deliberating on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai on Thursday opined that timelines cannot be fixed for the President and the governors for granting assent to Bills passed by state assemblies.
In an X post, the CPI(M) general secretary said, "The Supreme Court's answer in response to the Presidential Reference is deplorable and shocking. Courts should not hesitate to play a meaningful role in ensuring proper checks and balances between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary."
Baby said that while on one hand the Supreme Court has said that timelines cannot be set for granting assent to bills, on the other, it said that the court can exercise a "limited power of judicial review to direct the governor to decide in a time-bound manner".
"Now, who will decide what is a time-bound manner?!! Judiciary should not absolve itself of its constitutional responsibility," Baby asked.
In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, the bench held that the Supreme Court cannot grant "deemed assent" as it would amount to virtual takeover of the role of a separate constitutional authority.
The bench also ruled that the governors do not have "unfettered" powers to sit over the Bills for "perpetuity" as they have only three options -- either to grant assent, or refer the Bills to the President, or withhold assent and send back them to the assemblies for reconsideration under Article 200.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
