Section 24 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 in hindi
Assent to Bills.
When a Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly, it shall be presented to the Lieutenant Governor and the Lieutenant Governor shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds assent therefrom or that he reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President: Provided that the Lieutenant Governor may, as soon as possible after the presentation of the Bill to him for assent, return the Bill if it is not a Money Bill together with a message requesting that the Assembly will consider the Bill or any specified provisions thereof, and, in particular, will consider the desirability of introducing any such amendments as he may recommend in his message and, when a Bill is so returned, the Assembly will reconsider the Bill accordingly, and if the Bill is passed again with or without amendment and presented to the Lieutenant Governor for assent, the Lieutenant Governor shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President: Provided further that the Lieutenant Governor shall not assent to, but shall reserve for the consideration of the President, any Bill which,--
- (a)in the opinion of the Lieutenant Governor would, if it became law, so derogate from the powers of the High Court as to endanger the position which that Court is, by the Constitution, designed to fill; or
- (b)the President may, by order, direct to be reserved for his consideration; or
- (c)relates to matters referred to in sub-section (5) of section 7 or section 19 or section 34 or sub-section (3) of 1[section 43; or] 2[(d) incidentally covers any of the matters which falls outside the purview of the powers conferred on the Legislative Assembly.] Explanation.--For the purposes of this section and section 25, a Bill shall be deemed to be a Money Bill if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the matters specified in sub-section (1) of section 22 or any matter incidental to any of those matters and, in either case, there is endorsed thereon the certificate of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly signed by him that it is a Money Bill.
Summary
- When a Bill is passed by the Legislative Assembly, it must be presented to the Lieutenant Governor.
- The Lieutenant Governor must declare either that he assents to the Bill, withholds assent, or reserves the Bill for the President's consideration.
- If the Bill is not a Money Bill, the Lieutenant Governor can return it to the Assembly with a message requesting reconsideration or amendments.
- If the Assembly passes the returned Bill again (with or without amendments), the Lieutenant Governor must either assent to it or reserve it for the President.
- The Lieutenant Governor is forbidden from assenting to certain Bills and MUST reserve them for the President. These include Bills affecting the High Court, Bills directed by the President, Bills covering matters outside the Assembly's power, and Bills relating to the salaries of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, members, or Ministers, or official languages.
- A Bill is a Money Bill if it deals only with the financial matters in Section 22(1) and carries a signed certificate from the Speaker.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. What choices does the Lieutenant Governor have when a passed Bill is presented to him?
He can either give assent, withhold assent, or reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President.
2. Can the Lieutenant Governor return any Bill to the Legislative Assembly for reconsideration?
No, he can only return a Bill if it is not a Money Bill. Money Bills cannot be returned for reconsideration.
3. What happens if the Assembly passes a returned Bill a second time?
If the Bill is passed again, with or without amendment, the Lieutenant Governor must either declare that he assents to it or reserve it for the President's consideration.
4. Which Bills must the Lieutenant Governor reserve for the President's consideration?
He must reserve Bills that weaken the High Court, any Bill the President directs to be reserved, any Bill covering matters outside the Assembly's powers, and any Bill relating to the salaries of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, assembly members, or Ministers, or the official languages.
5. How is a Bill officially certified as a Money Bill?
It must contain only provisions dealing with the financial matters listed in Section 22(1) (or incidental matters) and carry an endorsed certificate signed by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 24 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, which of the following options lists the choices available to the Lieutenant Governor when a Bill is presented to him?
Q2.Under Section 24 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, what is the restriction on returning a Bill to the Legislative Assembly for reconsideration?
Q3.Under Section 24 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, which of the following Bills is the Lieutenant Governor forbidden to assent to and MUST reserve for the President?
Q4.Under Section 24 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, what is required on a Bill for it to be deemed a Money Bill?
Q5.Under Section 24 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, if the Legislative Assembly passes a Bill relating to the official languages under Section 34, what action must the Lieutenant Governor take?
Q6.Under Section 24 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, if a Bill relates to the salaries of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker under Section 7(5), how does this cross-reference affect the Lieutenant Governor's powers?