Chennai, Oct 27 (BPNS)
The DMK has watered down the controversies emanating after the Tamil Nadu Governor, R.N. Ravi sought report on the Government departments and the ongoing welfare schemes. The Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, V. Irai Anbu has sent a circular to all department heads stating that the” Governor wishes to know about departments and their ongoing welfare schemes”.
However the ruling DMK has watered it down and the party spokesman J. Constantine Raveendran while speaking to IANS said, “ The present Governor R.N. Ravi has sought the information through the Chief Minister and this is a routine practice in administration. This is unlike the previous Governor Banwarilal Purohit who had sought information on schemes without the knowledge of the then Chief Minister or other ministers and as a responsible opposition party we had come out against that. The present Governor has sought the information from the Chief Secretary and we don’t have any problems with it and there is no controversy regarding the same.”
Chief Secretary, V. Irai Anbu had also clarified on the Governor seeking report and in a statement said, “ Governor seeking information is a routine practice in government administration. It is inappropriate to make this a controversial issue and those who are in the know of how a government administration understand that it is a routine procedure as a new Governor has assumed office.”
The statements of the DMK spokesperson and the Chief Secretary are clear indicators that the government and the party do not want to rake this up as a controversy and have watered down the issue.
However, the coalition partner of the DMK in the state, the Congress party, has come out against the Governor seeking report on the government from the Chief Secretary and has termed this as an interference of the Governor in the routine administration of the elected Government.
Tamil Nadu state Congress Committee president, K.S. Alagiri came out strongly against the circular and in a statement on Tuesday said, “The Governor has no right to monitor or interfere in Government schemes. He is an appointee and not an elected representative. So the Governors’s move in this regard has an ulterior motive and is against the constitution. He should stop such activities henceforth.”
Senior Congress leader and Chairman of the Tamil Nadu state Minorities commission, Peter Alphonse also came out strongly against the Governor seeking report from the state government on the welfare schemes. Speaking to media persons he said, “The post of the Governor is like a fire tender. It should come to the scene only when there is fire. When the government administration is going smoothly there is no need for the Governor’s interference. Him summoning and meeting the officials will give an impression that there are two governments in the state.”
DMK had while in opposition come out strongly against the then Governor Banwarilal Purohit who had visited the district headquarters and sought information on welfare schemes of the government and the progress of these schemes.
The DMK had then conducted strong protest marches to the district headquarters where the Governor used to visit but his actions were defended by Banwarilal Purohit stating that he was acting according to the constitution. However, when protests mounted, he had silently given up the visits to the district headquarters.
