Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 4
Amid ongoing tussle for power between Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and the elected government led by Chief Minister V Narayanswamy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday restrained till June 21 the cabinet of the Union Territory from implementing decisions having financial implications.
A Vacation Bench of Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice MR Shah said the restraint order would also apply to any transfer of land.
Acting on a petition filed by the Lt Governor, the top court issued notice to the CM asking him to respond by June 21, the next date of hearing, to the plea for making him a party to the case.
The interim order was passed after Additional Solicitors General AS Nadkarni and Aman Lekhi placed on record the agenda of the Cabinet meeting to be held on June 7. The ASGs submitted that if final decisions were taken on the said agenda items having financial implication and were implemented, the main special leave petition would become infructuous.
The apex court was hearing applications filed by the Centre and Bedi seeking that the situation prevailing before the high court’s April 30 verdict be restored in the UT since the administration there had come to a standstill.
The ASGs requested the Bench to restore status quo ante prevailing prior to the HC order, which said the Lt Governor “cannot interfere” in the day-to-day affairs of the elected government there.
The Bench, however, refused to stay the HC verdict after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram opposed it on behalf of the original petitioners— Congress MLA K Laksminarayanan and others.
On May 10, the top court had sought response from Laksminarayanan on petitions filed by the Centre and Bedi. In its April 30 order, the Madras High Court had allowed Laksminarayanan’s plea and set aside the two communications issued in January and June 2017 by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs “elevating” the powers of the administrator i.e. the LG.
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2JWW56u
via Today’s News Headlines
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