The Monsoon session of West Bengal Legislative Assembly will begin from June 10 and six legislations will be tabled in the House to make Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Chancellor of all State-run Universities.
State’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Partha Chatterjee on Monday said that most of the Bills to be tabled in this session are “The West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (Amendment) Bill, The University of Animal and Fishery Sciences ( Amendment) Bill, The West Bengal University of Health Science (Amendment) Bill,” among others. Mr. Chatterjee said that details of the legislation and when they will be tabled will be announced at the Business Advisory Committee meeting on June 9.
The West Bengal Cabinet on May 26 approved a resolution to appoint the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of all State Universities. The post of Chancellor is usually held by State’s Governor.
The Trinamool Congress government has alleged interference by the Governor in the affairs of State universities. After May 26, the State government at subsequent Cabinet meetings have decided that all private universities and even Universities like Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, University of Animal and Fishery Sciences Bill, West Bengal University of Health Science will have Chief Minister as the Chancellor.
State’s Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on May 29 had said that not concerned about what the government does, unless a paper comes to him. Mr. Dhankhar had already given hints that he is not willing to allow the State government to enact the legislations as far as giving powers of Chancellor to the Chief Ministers. Governor Jagdeep Dhankar is the ex-officio chancellor of 17 universities in the State.
“As and when it comes to me, I will take a call based on Constitutional provisions… I am surprised, a bill becomes an act when the Governor signs it and an ordinance is passed when the Governor signs it,” Mr. Dhankhar had said.
Adani Enterprises to set up hyper-scale data centre at Bengal
In another development, the State’s Cabinet on Monday given its nod to Adani Enterprises for setting up a hyper-scale data centre at Bengal Silicon Valley in the New Town area on the outskirts of the city. Mr. Chatterjee said gave its go-ahead to the company to set up the facility on 51.75 acres of land.
“The State cabinet today gave the nod to the proposal by Adani Enterprises to set up a 100 per cent hyper-scale data centre at Bengal Silicon Valley in New Town, Rajarhat. The project will come up on 51.75 acres of land, which has been given on a 99-year lease,” Mr. Chatterjee said.
