New Delhi
State assemblies in India met for an average of 22 days in 2023, with some states experiencing extended adjournments, according to a report by PRS Legislative Research. In seven states, sessions continued for more than six months without being officially closed, and gaps between sittings stretched on for weeks or months.
The Constitution requires that state legislatures meet at least once every six months. However, the report found that in Delhi, the same session ran from March to December 2023 with only 14 sittings. Punjab’s session between March and October had just 10 sittings. Some states, like Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, had sessions lasting over a year.
Despite the limited number of sittings, over 500 bills were passed, including state budgets worth over Rs 53 lakh crore in 2023. 44% of bills were passed within a day of introduction, but some states, like Kerala and Meghalaya, took over five days to pass most bills.
Regarding Governor’s assent, 59% of bills were approved within a month, but in states like Assam, Nagaland, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, it took more than two months for many bills to be signed. West Bengal’s bills, on average, took 92 days for assent.
Maharashtra had the most assembly sitting days (41), while Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Uttarakhand met for fewer than 10 days. These inconsistencies have led to legal challenges, with Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana seeking Supreme Court help to address delayed assent issues.
