Organising programme without asking the State government is highly inappropriate, says State Minister Nawab Malik.
In what could be seen as yet another conflict between the Maharashtra government and State’s Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the State Cabinet on Tuesday registered a strong protest against the latter’s three-day visit to three districts where he will be taking review meetings and has planned the inauguration programmes of various developmental works without taking consent from the concerned Department’s Minister.
“The Chief Secretary will be visiting Raj Bhavan to convey the Cabinet’s objections, and he will also inform the Governor about his rights. It is apparent that the Governor is trying to create two power centres in the State,” said State Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik.
Mr. Koshyari has announced a three-day tour of Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli districts between August 5 to 7. He will be taking a review meeting at the Nanded District Collector’s office along with the Collector and other officials on August 5. He will also hold a review meeting in Hingoli on August 6, and then, after attending a programme at Parbhani’s Agriculture University, he will hold a review meeting in Parbhani as well on August 7.
“His actions are nothing but to portray himself as another power centre in the State. It seems he has forgotten that he is no longer the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand,” Mr. Malik said.
Mr. Malik, the Minority Affairs Minister in the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, said that Mr. Koshyari will inaugurating two hostels (for boys and girls, respectively) constructed by his (Mr. Malik’s) department, which are yet to be handed over to the university. “The Governor, in his capacity as the Vice-Chancellor, has a say in the management of universities, but organising the programme without asking the State government is highly inappropriate,” he said.
The Minister said that the government hoped Mr. Koshyari would change the details of his programme at least after objections from the government.
Mr. Koshyari, who is a former leader of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, has faced-off with the MVA government in the past as well. He is yet to clear the list of 12 names sent to him by the State government to be appointed to State council. Presently, a petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking directions to the Governor to take action in this regard.