Context

• Telangana High Court issued notices to the State government in a writ petition challenging an Ordinance empowering government to defer payment of pension and salaries of retired and serving employees respectively.

About Article 213

• The Article empowers the Governor to promulgate Ordinance, during recess of legislature, if circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action.
• The ordinance shall be promulgated only when both legislative assembly and legislative council(where applicable) are not in session.
• The ordinance has to be passed by the legislative assembly when it commences within 6 weeks, otherwise the ordinance will cease to exist.
• The Governor has powers to withdraw the ordinance.