Governor has extensive powers: Tamilisai Sounderarajan

Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan on Monday claimed she has extensive powers and approving the Bills passed by the State Legislature comes under her purview.

The remark came amid criticism of the Governor by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) over the delay in approving the Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly.

She said she would act within her purview and would soon take a decision on the Bills sent for her approval. Replying to a query, Tamilisai made it clear that she is not against anybody.

The Governor interacted with the media persons during Diwali celebrations at Raj Bhavan.

The row about the Bills further widened the chasm between the Governor and the state government.

Six amendment Bills and two new Bills passed by the Assembly were already sent to the governor for her approval. These include Bills relating to university recruitment common board, Municipality Act amendment Bill, Forest University Bill and Azamabad Industrial Area Bill.

TRS leaders have found fault with the Governor for delaying the assent to Bills.

Deputy Speaker T. Padma Rao Goud targeted her for not clearing the files sent by the government for her approval.

“The government makes many decisions for the welfare of the people and development of the state but the files pertaining to these are being delayed. She is governor of Telangana and not governor of some other country like Pakistan,” the TRS leader remarked.

On completion of three years in office last month, she had alleged that the TRS government humiliated her by not following the protocol and by not allowing her to unfurl the national flag at a public event on the Republic Day.

A couple of days ago, she launched a direct attack on Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao,

While talking to reporters in Chennai, she remarked that her visit to flood-hit Bhadrachalam forced the chief minister, who was sleeping in his bungalow, to rush to the temple town.

It may be recalled that the differences cropped up between the Governor and the TRS government when she did not approve the state Cabinet’s recommendation to appoint P. Kaushik Reddy as member of state Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota.

When she delayed clearing the file, the TRS government later had to send Kaushik Reddy to the upper House of the state Legislature under MLA quota.