Days after Congress-led government lost power in Puducherry following a spate of resignations by party MLAs, President’s Rule was imposed in the union territory on Thursday.
A notification imposing the President’s Rule in Puducherry was issued by the Union home ministry on Thursday. The union territory’s Assembly has been kept under suspended animation.
The notification, signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, said the decision was taken after the president received a report from the administrator of the Union Territory of Puducherry on February 22.
It said after considering the report and other information received by him, the president was satisfied that a situation had arisen in which the administration of the Union Territory of Puducherry could not carry on in accordance with the provisions of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963).
The notification said, “in relation to the said Union territory, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in sections 23 [special provisions as to financial Bills], 27 to 31 [Annual financial statement, Procedure in Legislative Assembly with respect to estimates, Appropriation Bills, Supplementary, additional or excess grants, Votes on account and section 49 [audit reports] of the Act to the Administrator shall be construed as a reference to the President and any reference in those sections and in section 48 [Contingency Fund of the Union territory] to the Legislative Assembly of a Union Territory by whatever form of words shall, in so far as it relates to the functions and powers thereof, be construed as a reference to Parliament.”
