Special Perks to Ex-governors – NOTHING BUT SQUANDERING AWAY PUBLIC MONEY

Special Perks to Ex-governors

NOTHING BUT SQUANDERING AWAY PUBLIC MONEY

Daily Naya India (Hindi) has come out with a report (March 09, 2013) that the present UPA government has been too pleased to shower many favours and perks on the ex-governors at public cost.

UPA has decided to provide a secretary and to dole out `20,000 per month to enable ex-governors to maintain their office for life. Further a special identity card is being designed so that they get special attention at railway stations and airports while travelling. A protocol is also being devised for them.

To justify the step, the government explains that the ex-governors have complained that after they demit office, they are made to lead a life of no identity. All this is being done to maintain their dignity in retired life, the government explained.

MAINLY RULING PARTY CHUMS

It needs to be kept in mind that more than 95 percent of the ex-governors still alive belong to the ruling Congress Party or those who served it well. The appointment of governors is solely a discretionary favour on the persons. There are no rules governing their appointment and selection. Today the Raj Bhawans in Congress-ruled States have been turned into Congress Bhawans where governors keep a friendly eye on the activities of the Congress governments to promote and protect the ruling party interests. In non-Congress ruled States, the Raj Bhawans are known to have been converted into Opposition Bhawans. The governors play the role of the opposition more than that is performed by the elected leaders of opposition in the assembly. They keep the State governments on their toes by everyday pinpricking. Such instances are seen today in the States of Gujarat, Karnataka etc.

It is needless to recall how the office of the governor has been misused by the ruling party in destabilizing elected governments through underhand means by back room maneuvers. The cases of Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, and so on are the recent instances. In Bihar the role of the then Governor Buta Singh was severely censured by the Supreme Court and he had ultimately to vacate the Raj Bhawan.

DISCREDITED GOVERNORS

It is not difficult to perceive that effort has always been made to put diehard Congress leaders in the Raj Bhawan with a specific mandate in opposition ruled States. Instances are not few and far between to find when governors have called on the national party chiefs, obviously to seek their 'inspiration' and aashirwaad.

For all intents and purposes, a governor is a public servant. But he is a glamourised and privileged variety. If a public servant is found derelict in the performance of his duties as per the law and the rules, he is made answerable. At times he even loses his job and pension. But it is not so in the case of governors. Governors like Bhandari and Buta Singh had to quit following a censure of their conduct by the courts, yet they continue to draw all the benefits due to a retired governor.

In these circumstances, the UPA government move is bound to entail a heavy burden on the hard earned money of the aam aadmi only to prize the individuals who were only the blue-eyed persons of the ruling bosses to promote and protect their sectarian political and electoral interests at the cost of public interest.