In a setback to the LDF government in Kerala, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday denied assent to the Kerala Co-operative Societies Amendment Bill (Milma) passed by the Kerala Assembly. It had been referred to the President by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan amid tussle with the state government.
The Kerala Co-operative Societies Amendment Bill intends to give the administrator of the dairy cooperative societies the power to vote in governing body elections. The Governor had withheld the Bill citing that the amendment is against the idea and principles of democracy.
Governor Khan in November last year reserved seven Bills, including the controversial University Amendment Bills and the Kerala Lokayukta Bill, for presidential assent. Four of these Bills have been rejected by the President including the Kerala Co-operative Societies Amendment (Milma) Bill.
However, President Droupati Murmu has given assent to the Lokayukta Amendment Bill, 2022. The Kerala Assembly had on August 30, 2022, passed the Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to make the executive the appellate authority over recommendations and reports by the anti-corruption watchdog.