The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is considering approaching the Supreme Court to seek a defined timeframe for the Governor’s assent to Bills pending approval. Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman confirmed this development on Sunday, citing prolonged delays that have stalled key legislative processes.
According to Debbarman, a total of 37 Bills passed by the TTAADC are awaiting the Governor’s assent. Among them, around 16 to 17 pertain to tribal customary laws, while others focus on land, business regulation, and local governance. He emphasized that while the Governor holds the constitutional right to return Bills for reconsideration, keeping them pending indefinitely undermines the legislative powers of the autonomous council.
Debbarman referenced the Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling in the State of Tamil Nadu vs. Governor of Tamil Nadu case, which addressed the issue of Governors delaying assent to Bills passed by elected bodies. He argued that Tripura now faces a comparable situation, where constitutional delays are impeding the autonomy granted under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Explaining the legislative procedure, Debbarman noted that Bills passed by the TTAADC are first submitted to the state government and then forwarded to the Governor for final approval. “We are not opposing scrutiny,” he said, “but the process must be time-bound and transparent. Indefinite delays weaken the very foundation of self-governance that the Sixth Schedule guarantees.”
He also pointed out that several Bills passed during the previous CPI(M) administration remain pending, highlighting that the issue transcends political boundaries and reflects a systemic problem. Debbarman further reminded that the Tipra Motha Party had previously approached courts regarding the delay in conducting Village Committee elections under the TTAADC, emphasizing the need for accountability in constitutional functions.
If the TTAADC proceeds to move the Supreme Court, it could mark a significant legal challenge from a Sixth Schedule body seeking to define the constitutional limits of gubernatorial discretion in approving local laws. The outcome could have wider implications for other autonomous councils across the Northeast facing similar administrative bottlenecks.
