TMC plans to use long forgotten Punchhi Commission report to build common ground with opposition parties

The recommendations include the appointment of the Governor in consultation with the Chief Ministers and impeachment by the state legislator

MLAs belonging to the allies of the ruling government raise slogans against Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi before staging a walkout during his address at the first session of the year of Tamil Nadu Assembly, at Fort St George, in Chennai, on Jan. 9, 2023. The States ruled by the opposition party-led governments have been having frequent run-ins with the centre-appointed Governor including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, Telangana, and West Bengal. | Photo Credit: PTI

Flagging the long-forgotten Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi’s report on the center-State relations, the Trinamool Congress is planning a campaign centered around its recommendations which says that the appointment of the Governor must be done by a panel which among others also has the State Chief Minister.

The commission which was formed in 2007, submitted its seven-volume report with 275 recommendations to the MHA in 2010, following which the MHA circulated it to the State governments for their comments. The commission’s recommendations were considered by the standing committee of the Inter-State Council in its meetings held twice in 2017 and once in 2018.

In the latest reply tabled in Rajya Sabha on February 8th to a question asked by TMC MP and Chief Whip Sukendu Sekhar Ray, the Home Ministry said, that it will now seek “updated comments of the State governments on the recommendations”.

“Why was the government sitting on these recommendations for so long and why is it seeking updated comments from the States now? The simple explanation is that now the BJP government at the centre is confident with the majority of States run by their party, the comments will be in line with the thinking of the union government,” Mr. Ray said. The MHA, he said, has not given any other justification.

Justice Punchhi’s commission also has recommended that instead of functioning at the pleasure of the President of India the State legislators should be allowed to impeach the Governor by passing a resolution against him.

The States ruled by the opposition party-led governments have been having frequent run-ins with the centre-appointed Governor including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, Telangana, and West Bengal. With the common complaint of persistent interference by the Governor in the daily work of the government, the TMC feels is a common ground to bring the opposition together. According to sources, the party will be writing to the Chief Ministers of these States to come together to campaign for the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.