‘State delaying A-G’s appointment’

Members of the Opposition in the state Legislative Council on Wednesday alleged that the state government was delaying appointment of the advocate-general (A-G), with the post lying vacant for the past four months. They demanded that the state government make it clear when the post would be filled.

Raising the issue in the Legislative Council, Congress legislator Sanjay Dutt said, “Despite coming to power 18 months ago, the state government is working in an unconstitutional manner by not appointing the A-G. The state government, without an A-G, is incomplete from a constitutional perspective.”

Earlier, on March 23, the then-A-G Shreehari Aney, had resigned from his post after stoking controversy by advocating separate statehood for Marathwada. Thereafter, Rohit Jog was given charge as acting A-G.

Mr Dutt said, “But there is no provision for acting A-G in the Constitution. Additional A-G under the law has no constitutional authority to address the Legislature, nor can he perform statutory functions. He also has no statutory powers under contempt of court nor does he perform constitutional functions.” He stressed that there was a need to appoint an A-G for the state in a constitutional manner and that the state government should make it clear when the post would be filled.

Supporting Mr Dutt, NCP legislator Rahul Narvekar said that the state government was delaying appointment of A-G. “The A-G defends laws, which are made in the legislature. By keeping the post vacant, the state government is doing an injustice to members of the House,” he said.

Replying to this, chairman Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar directed the government to make a statement on the issue in consultation with the CM. To this, parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat assured that the statement would be made in the House.