Prez approves 19 Bills in two months

NEW DELHI: Within a period of less than two months, President Ramnath Kovind has given assent to as many as 19 Bills of different State governments, which were waiting for approval from the highest constitutional authority of the country. The quick approval of these legislations will help different State Governments for their welfare measure for the people of the state.

The highest numbers of bills that got assent from the President Kovind were passed by the Uttar Pradesh State Assembly. Among the bills are the Motor Transport Workers (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Industrial Employment (Standing Order) (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Payment of Wages (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Factories (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Equal Remuneration (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017 .

It’s not only the Bjp-ruled State that was benefited by the prompt action of the President, the state Governments ruled by the Left and Congress got the benefit by the decision of the President as well. The ruling CPM of Kerala got a shot in their arm when the Bill of the Commonwealth Trust, Kozhikode (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill, 2012. The bill was pending since 2012 and the Government was trying hard to get an assent from the President for a long time.

The Commonwealth Trust, Kozhikode (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill of 2012 was passed after years of personal sacrifice by the weavers. However, the government’s bid to take over the factory has made no headway. The Bill was passed unanimously by the State Legislative Assembly in July 2012 but has been unable to find its way to the President’s table till the President gives his assent. Incidentally, Rashtrapati Bhavan was once a prized client of the weavers. The factory was closed down and the weavers of the factory started a long battle to start the company again.

The factory was built in 1844 by the German Basel Evangelical Missionaries and was called the Mission Shop till 1919 when the British seized it and formed the Commonwealth Trust (England) Ltd also called Comtrust. In 1977, it was renamed Comtrust (India) Ltd. Chunks of this 169-year-old heritage property have been sold to private entities.

The other important bills of the state of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh have been assent by the President in no time.