Maharashtra: After Cabinet’s dissent, Governor tweaks plan, but sticks to varsity events

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari with CM Uddhav Thackeray

Following the state Cabinet's strong dissent, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has made a partial change to programmes he will be attending in Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli districts from August 5 to 7. Instead of holding the review meetings with government officials at the district collectors' offices, he will hold them at government circuit houses where he will stay for three days.

However, to the chagrin of dissenters, Koshyari has not amended the plan of inaugurating minority girls' and boys' hostels in SRTM University, Nanded. Minority affairs minister Nawab Malik and his cabinet colleagues had vehemently objected to the inauguration, insisting the Minority Affairs Department, which built the two properties, was not informed about the event.

In the Cabinet on Tuesday, Malik had raised the issue that the two hostels built by his department were not transferred to the university. "The governor may control the universities, but he cannot inaugurate hostels without informing the government," he had said, adding that the governor was trying to create two power centres.

The Cabinet had expressed serious concern, calling it an encroachment on the government's authority, and had directed Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte to convey its message of dissent to the governor. Kunte had visited Raj Bhavan after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Local leaders' threats

The fallout was also seen in Parbhani where local leaders of the NCP threatened to raise black flags if the governor was hosted at the collector's office. The ruling parties in Nanded and Hingoli issued similar threats.

The governor was also criticised last week for visiting flood-affected areas with a BJP legislator who was suspended from the state Assembly recently. NCP boss Sharad Pawar, who never misses an opportunity to get even with Koshyari, had advised leaders and VIPs to avoid stalling relief work with such visits. Following this, the governor's office tweaked tour details and informed the government and agriculture and non-agriculture university officials in the three districts accordingly.

On Thursday, Koshyari will travel by the state-owned aircraft to Nanded. Apart from academic events, inaugurations, he will review various activities of SRTM University (Nanded), Vasantrao Naik Agriculture University (Parbhani) and Takhat Sachchand Sri Hazur Sahib of Nanded.