Against the backdrop of a row over actions of Arunachal Pradesh Governor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee had some words of advice for the Governors on Wednesday.
While the PM said the Governors should work as catalytic agents in the states, President Pranab Mukherjee yet again asked Governors to act within the framework of the Constitution and “they must not only be fair but also be seen to be fair”.
Both were addressing the concluding session of 47th Governors’ Conference in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Pitching for extending the spirit of ‘cooperative federalism’ to ‘competitive federalism’ to l involve healthy competition among states and between the states and the Centre, the PM said Governors occupy a unique high position, owing to their vast experience, and the prestigious nature of their post, a PMO statement said.
“They can hence work as catalytic agents in the states, speeding up and improving processes without themselves becoming a part of them,” he added, according to the statement.
Modi urged all Governors to think about some form of legacy which they would leave behind at the end of their terms, as their contribution to the States. Modi stressed on the importance of cooperative federalism, which he said must be implemented in letter and spirit, the PMO said.
He said the Centre and States must work together as ‘Team India’ and that the spirit of cooperative federalism must also extend to cooperative, competitive federalism, with healthy competition for development among States.
The Prime Minister said India is the only major economy across the world, which is moving ahead strongly despite the global economic crisis. With the world taking note of India, India is not a mute spectator to global developments, and has played a key role in recent global fora such as CoP-21, and WTO, he said.
On the other hand, In his concluding remarks in his President Pranab Mukherjee said that they have been charged with an onerous responsibility to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
“It is, therefore, imperative that all their actions are within the framework of the Constitution and conform to the highest ideals enshrined in this living document,” Mukherjee said. He said as holders of high offices they must not only be fair but also be seen to be fair.
Vice President Hamid Ansari also addressed the concluding session of the conference which was attended by 23 Governors and two lt Governors. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, national Security Adviser Ajit Doval, among others also addressed the gathering.