Governor Ravi Approves 2 Bills For Nominating Disabled People To Tamil Nadu Civic Bodies
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Governor RN Ravi approved two bills allowing Tamil Nadu to nominate persons with disabilities for civil sector positions. CM MK Stalin acknowledged the approval.
In an attempt to empower specially abled people in Tamil Nadu, Governor RN Ravi on Tuesday approved two bills that enable the state government to nominate persons with disabilities (PwDs) for undertaking positions in civil sector. With the approval, now the Tamil Nadu government can nominate PwDs for the municipal administration and rural development departments.
In response, Chief Minister MK Stalin took a dig at Governor Ravi while acknowledging his decision of showing green signal to the bills.
CM Stalin said, 'The Governor has approved the bill for disabled people today … It was expected as we passed it in the legislative resolution. Maybe he was afraid that we would go to court if he didn't give his assent."
Notably, the bills amend two key state laws. The bills were presented and passed in the state assembly on April 16.
It empowers the government with the authority to directly nominate PwDs to various departments of local governance.
Earlier, representation of PwDs in local bodies in the state was extremely low, with only 35 such individuals serving in urban local bodies, according to media reports.
The Governor's acceptance of the bills marks a key development, especially in light of a recent Supreme Court order in regard to the governors' constitutional responsibilities.
Governor Ravi had earlier held back from approving several bills, prompting the state to petition the top court. In a landmark ruling, the court slammed the Governor's inaction as unconstitutional and unlawful, and directed that specific timelines be followed when dealing with bills.
The bills were presented with focus on addressing historical under-representation and ensuring that PwDs have a formal voice in local governance.
The amendments pertain to two significant laws, namely the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998, and the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994. They empower the state to nominate PwDs to a range of local bodies, including town panchayats, municipal councils, municipal corporations, village panchayats, panchayat union councils, and district panchayats.
A main feature of the legislation is that it authorises state for direct nomination — bypassing the electoral process — thus reducing barriers to participation. Each local governance body must involve at least one nominated PwD, with councils of more than 100 members required to have two.
The nominated PwD members will work for a period equal to that of elected representatives, which is generally a five-year term — and will be entitled to honoraria, allowances, and other benefits on par with elected councillors.
However, they will be barred from voting in council decisions.
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