Vijayawada: The state government on Friday requested the Union home ministry to extend the powers of President under Section 108 of the bifurcation Act for two more years to resolve pending issues. According to Section 108, the President India can order any changes, which are not inconsistent to the provisions of the bifurcation Act and which appears to him to be necessary to remove difficulties.
Section 108 mandates these orders should be given within three years from of the appointed day of the two states, that would end by June 2 2017. Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar wrote to Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Friday requesting action to extend the operation of provisions of Section 108 for two more years. He said the President had invoked Section 108 on three occasions.
Mr Kumar said irrigation issues, employee service matters, apportionment of assets and liabilities in public sector undertakings and increase in seats of Assembly constituencies in both the states were yet to be resolved. But Constitutional expert and senior Supreme Court advocate P.P. Rao said that any change to Section 108 has to come from Parlia-ment. As Parliament is not in session, an ordinance would need to be promulgated if the Union government wanted to extend the powers of the President he said.
