Athawale defends governor holding meetings with officials

Mumbai: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale denied on Saturday that Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari holding meetings with bureaucrats on coronavirus crisis undermines the state government's authority or creates two power centres.

The Union Minister of State for Social Justice, an NDA ally, said the governor has the right to hold such meetings.

While the RPI chief did not name anybody, he was apparently referring to NCP chief Sharad Pawar who had alleged on Wednesday that "some governors" were issuing orders directly to the bureaucracy and they should give instructions through the chief ministers instead.

Athawale also opined that as Maharashtra has reported the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country, the lockdown in the state should be extended till April 30.

"The governor cannot sit idle given that a big crisis like coronavirus is upon us. The governor holding meetings with bureaucrats does not jeopardise the rights of the chief minister," Athawale said in a statement.

"The Constitution has given some rights to the governor. So the allegation leveled by some people against the governor of creating two power centres is wrong and unconstitutional," the Union minister said.

The RPI leader also demanded all state governments suspend two-year development funds of MLAs and use them for battling the coronavirus pandemic, in line with the Centre's decision about development funds of MPs.