Sri Vijaya Puram, 18 May: Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging a review of the prolonged tenure of the current Lieutenant Governor and advocating for a policy framework that would introduce term limits and performance reviews for Lt. Governors in Union Territories.
In his letter, which was reviewed by The Wave Andaman, Ray noted that the current Lt. Governor has been in office for over seven and a half years, a duration he described as uncommon when measured against constitutional conventions. He argued that such an extended tenure, particularly in a Union Territory with no elected legislature or Chief Minister, may raise questions regarding democratic accountability and the rotation of executive authority.
Citing Article 239 of the Constitution, Ray acknowledged that the post of Administrator (Lt. Governor) is held at the pleasure of the President without a fixed term. However, he added that the absence of a prescribed limit should not translate into indefinite continuation. In contrast, he pointed out that several other constitutional positions, including the President, Vice-President, State Governors, and Members of Parliament, operate within a defined tenure of five years.
Ray also invoked the basic structure doctrine established in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment, and the principles reaffirmed in S.R. Bommai v. Union of India, to underline the importance of federal balance, the rule of law, and democratic governance. He noted that the prolonged presence of a single unelected authority wielding near-complete executive control, without legislative oversight, may risk institutional imbalance in Union Territories.
He further submitted that the current system lacks mechanisms for periodic administrative review and rotation, standard practices in other constitutional and bureaucratic roles. In territories like Andaman & Nicobar, he argued, such reviews are particularly important given the absence of a representative assembly.
Ray proposed instituting a fixed tenure, preferably three to five years, for Lt. Governors, or at the very least, introducing mandatory performance assessments at regular intervals. “Such a framework would align with the spirit of democratic governance and ensure continued public trust in the administrative structure,” the letter stated.
He also referred to an earlier letter (dated 7 February 2025) addressed to the PMO, in which he had formally recommended a leadership change and the appointment of a “welfare-minded individual” as Lt. Governor. While the letter was acknowledged on 10 February, he noted that no further update or response had been communicated.
Concluding his representation, Ray expressed hope that the matter, framed in both constitutional and public interest terms, would be taken up with due seriousness by the Central Government.
