President’s Rule in Puducherry notified

It comes after the fall of Congress govt.

Raj Nivas, the official residence of the Lt. Governor in Puducherry. File

President’s rule was imposed in the Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry and the Legislative Assembly was placed under suspended animation, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday.

A day ago, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal by the MHA to dissolve the Assembly and impose President’s rule in the UT.

The notification said President Ram Nath Kovind had received a report from the administrator of the UT on February 22 and “after considering the report and other information”, the President was “satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the administration of the Union Territory of Puducherry cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963).”

The notification issued by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla said the “Legislative Assembly of the said Union Territory is hereby placed under suspended animation.”

UTs are administered in accordance with the provisions of Article 239 to 241 of the Constitution, and according to the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, certain subjects pertaining to the UTs- Legislative matters, Finance and Budget and Services have been allocated to the MHA .

The notification said, “in relation to the said Union territory, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in sections 23 [special provisions as to financial Bills], 27 to 31 [Annual financial statement, Procedure in Legislative Assembly with respect to estimates, Appropriation Bills, Supplementary, additional or excess grants, Votes on account and section 49 [audit reports] of the Act to the Administrator shall be construed as a reference to the President and any reference in those sections and in section 48 [Contingency Fund of the Union territory] to the Legislative Assembly of a Union Territory by whatever form of words shall, in so far as it relates to the functions and powers thereof, be construed as a reference to Parliament.”

It added, “in relation to the said Union Territory, the reference to the Legislative Assembly of a Union Territory in section 26 [Requirements as to sanction and recommendations to be regarded as matters of procedure] only shall be construed as including a reference to Parliament.”

The decision comes days after the Congress-led government lost power in a vote of confidence.