News Mania Desk/ Sohom Chatterjee / 7th September 2024
The Governor of West Bengal CV Ananda Bose again fell out with the Mamata Banerjee government on September 5 for “failing to send” the technical report along with a recently passed anti-rape Bill. The technical report is essential for the Governor to give assent to this new legislation.
Bose pointed out that it has become a regular practice on Nabanna’s side to send the Bills alone without the technical reports and then blame the governor’s office for not clearing them. A Raj Bhawan official said, “The governor criticised the state administration for failing to attach the technical report along with the Aparajita Bill. As per the rule, it is mandatory for the state government to send the technical report before a decision is taken on giving assent to the Bill.”
He continued, “This is not the first time that the government has withheld technical reports and blamed the Raj Bhavan for not clearing Bills.” The official also said that the Governor reprimanded the government for not taking the necessary steps in such a severe matter like this. Bose also pointed out that this Bill seems like a “copy-paste” of similar Bills passed by Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The source also mentioned the Governor’s take on CM Mamata Banerjee’s threatening with a protest as “only to hoodwink the people of West Bengal as she is also fully well aware that similar Bills are pending with the President of India”.
‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024’ also known as the Aparajita Bill was passed without any opposition at the WB Bidhan Sabha on September 3 for capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions result in the victim’s death or leave her in a vegetative state and life sentence without parole for other perpetrators. This Bill also ensures that the investigation must be completed within 21 days compared to the previous 60-day timeframe. These kinds of investigations also must be completed by a special task force which will be led by women officers to ensure that justice is served right.
