New Delhi: Against the backdrop of a row over actions of Arunachal Pradesh Governor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Governors should work as catalytic agents in the states, speeding up and improving processes “without themselves becoming a part of them”.
Addressing the concluding session of 47th Governors’ Conference in Rashtrapati Bhawan, he pitched for extending the spirit of ‘cooperative federalism’ to ‘competitive federalism’ which will involve healthy competition among states and between the states and the Centre.
The Prime Minister 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.
His remarks about the role of Governors assume significance as these came against the backdrop of controversy over certain actions of Arunachal Pradesh Governor J P Rajkhowa, including calling of Assembly session bypassing the Chief Minister.
Those actions are now being examined by the Supreme Court, which has observed that the Governor “has no business to call the assembly session on his whims to test the majority of a Chief Minister and his government”.
The apex court has asked: “Does it not amount to interfering with the legislative functioning of the House.”
Modi, in his address, 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.