Governor Ram Naik said that he would seek information from the Akhilesh Yadav government over the alleged reports of en mass recruitments of youths of a particularly caste in different government jobs in the state leading to resentment across the state.
“I have been told about this and have even read this in newspaper that a particular caste being promoted in the government jobs. Such thing is wrong. I will seek information from the government on this regard,” Naik told reporters here on Wednesday.
Naik completed one year of his tenure on Wednesday July 22 and even released a 58- page booklet “Raj Bhawan mein Ram Naik 2014-15.”
When Governor was asked to comment on the corruption charges leveled against different selection Boards he said that the matter was serious and information would be sought from the state government.
He said Raj Bhawan is not at loggerheads with the Chief Minister. “I work as per the constitution. I have no hesitation to say that I have denied accent to two Ordinances and 7 Bills sent by the UP government. I felt these did not match onstitutional spirit so I did not sign them,” he said.
He, however, showed his annoyance over the delay in appointment of new lokayukta in the state. “It is unfortunate that even after Supreme Court order to appoint a new lokayukta within six months on April 24, 2014, the UP government did not appoint new incumbent,” he said adding that now the apex court would be hearing the contempt case on the issue on Thursday.
“Such act of the government denied the people transparency in the governance,” he said.
Naik clarified that he was yet to receive official information about changes in the members of the selection panel for the lokayukta. “There is a media report that Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court has been removed from the selection panel but there is no communication to me from the government,” he said.
Governor, however, said he has written to Chief Minister, leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Swamy Prasad Maurya and Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, raising concerns over the delay in the appointment of the lokayukta, but unfortunately except Chief Justice no one bothered to reply.
Naik said though he was satisified with the performance of the state government, law and order needs to be improved and have given suggestion from time to time on the matter.
“I cannot say what the people feel about this government. I have written 175 letters to CM and other ministers of the state on different issues including the law and order problems,” he said.
Answering a question that he has lowered the dignity of his post by answering a question on Ram temple issue during his Faizabad visit, Naik said an NGO Citizen for Democracy had moved a PIl in the court demanding my removal on this issue. First Allahabad High Court and then the Supreme Court rejected it thus vindicating my act that whatever I had said was as per the Constitutional norms.
He further said that during his one year term Raj Bhawan has received 44,066 letters of the common people and organisations about their problems.
Governor who is also the chancellor of 25 state universities, said that the cheating in the examinations has been curtailed to some extent. The academic calender has been regularised and 21 varsities have organised convocations within last one year.
Refusing to make any comment on UP minister Mohammad Azam Khan for claims that he has life threat from the Raj Bhawan the Governor said:,” I have decided in the past not to make any statement against the senior UP minister and I stick to it.”