Puducherry: Supreme Court defers hearing in power tussle between LG and CM to July 10

The Supreme Court today deferred the hearing in the case relating to the power struggle between the Lieutenant Governor and the elected government of the Union Territory of Puducherry to July 10..The Vacation Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant directed for the previous interim order restraining the Cabinet from implementing any decisions having financial implications to continue..The Government of Puducherry, represented by Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal, informed the Court about certain issues under consideration by the Cabinet concerning distribution of rice to holders of ration cards..Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the LG, submitted that there is no objection to distribution of rice to persons below the poverty line. However, Sibal objected to the same, arguing that a Court order in this regard would mean modification of a policy decision by the Court..The Court, therefore, refrained from passing any order in the case and listed the matter for July 10..In an order passed on April 30, the Madras High Court had held that the elected government of the Union Territory generally assumes supremacy over the Lieutenant Governor. In doing so, the High Court quashed two communications made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in January and June 2017, which the Court found had effectively undermined the power of the Legislative Assembly and elevated the power of the Administrator, though not exactly available under the applicable laws..LG Kiran Bedi had moved the Supreme Court in May, challenging the judgment of the Madras High Court. The Union of India had filed a separate special leave petition on similar lines, in which the Supreme Court had issued notice on May 10..Later, Bedi approached the Supreme Court praying for maintenance of status quo prior to the Madras High Court order that curtailed her administrative powers..On June 4, the Supreme Court has restrained the Puducherry government from implementing any cabinet decisions that might have financial implications..Read Order:.Bar & Bench is available on WhatsApp. For real-time updates on stories, click here to subscribe to our WhatsApp.