Q. Which of the following are the options available to the State Legislative Council once the State Legislative Assembly passes a Bill and transmits it?
1. Return the Bill for reconsideration after suggesting amendments.
2. Not take any action for 6 months.
3. Reject the bill altogether
4. Keep returning the Bill creating a deadlock
Select the correct option using the code given below:
Exp) Option b is the correct answer.
Article 196 and 197 of the constitution have provisions regarding the legislative procedures for introduction and passing of an Ordinary Bill in the State Legislature as well as the roles of the two Houses in this process. This includes the restrictions on the Legislative Council with regards to this process.
Option 1 is correct: The constitution has made a provision for a Legislative Council at state level, so that all legislations are well deliberated and not passed in an undue haste. So the Legislative Council has been given the right as well as the duty of considering a Bill and suggesting amendments and returning the Bill for reconsideration to the Assembly. If the Assembly accepts the amendments, the Bill is deemed to have been passed. Or the Assembly may reject the amendments and resend the Bill to the Council, which may again propose amendments. If these 2nd round of amendments too are not acceptable to the Assembly, then the Bill is deemed to have been passed in the form that the Assembly passed it.
Option 2 is incorrect: This statement is incorrect as the Legislative Council has the option to not take any action on the Bill sent to it by the Assembly for 3 months (not 6 months). After the lapse of this time period, the Assembly passes the same Bill and again transmits the Bill for passage by the Council.
Option 3 is correct: The Legislative Council has been given the authority to outright reject a Bill without sending it for the Assembly’s reconsideration. In case that happens, the Assembly passes the same Bill and again transmits the Bill for passage by the Council. If the Council again rejects the bill, then after the second rejection, the Bill is deemed to have been automatically passed in the form that the Assembly passed it.
Option 4 is incorrect: Once the Bill has been returned by the Assembly (post outright rejection or post 3 month delay or after disagreement over the amendments), the Council can only delay it for 1 month more by not taking any action. After that the Bill ultimately is deemed to have been passed in the form that the Assembly passed it. So there is no scope of a deadlock.
