Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Monday said his relations as governor of the state with that of the state government is “cordial”.
As the constitution demands that should any situation arise of a likely faceoff between the head of the state and the Executive, it should be settled within the framework of the constitution.
No wonder, not wanting to be drawn into any controversy over the recent flare-up between him and the state government over his convening of a meeting at the district level allegedly bypassing the state government, he also hastened to add the governor of a state is appointed by the President of India and discharge his duties on the advice of the council of ministers.
“There should not be any ambivalence or an iota of a doubt should be expressed there,” Mr Tripathi said at a programme at Bharat Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
To underscore his point, he said the Governor’s address in the state Assembly is the highlight of the state government.
“It will be highly inappropriate and the situation may go awry should the state government’s version is at variance with that of the governor. “ That should not be desirable and the Constitution does not permit it.”
The Governor also said alluding to the oft-repeated controversies triggered by the various developmental schemes by the state government that as governor of the state he has to go by the rule book as he has to discharge his duties according to the advice of the council of ministers.
On a question on the governor’s power on the state education he emphatically said “ Here in Bengal the governor’s role is very limited. “ I don’t want to wade into controversy but as you are all know the current state of affairs of education in state.”