Overreach

Overreach

Context:

• It is an act of constitutional impropriety for the Governor of a State to review the work of government officials when an elected regime is in place.

Why is it in news?

• Recently in news, by holding meetings in Coimbatore to review programmes, the Tamil Nadu Governor has left himself open to charges.
• Justifications say that it was an attempt to familiarise with the administration and that could appreciate its work in implementing schemes only if he got to know all details first hand.

Why this act is constitutional impropriety?

• Article 167 of the Constitution says it is the Chief Minister’s duty to communicate to the Governor about all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the administration and proposals for legislation.
• It enjoins the Chief Minister to furnish such information relating to the administration as the Governor may call for.
• There may be occasions when the Governor may need to ask a top bureaucrat or the head of the police force for a report on a major incident or development, but even that should be for the limited purpose of getting an accurate picture before sending a report to the Centre.

Conclusion:

• The Governor’s familiarisation exercise is bound to be read for signs of what the future has in store.
• It opens up a prospect of the State coming under a spell of President’s Rule if the present regime formally loses its majority in the House.
• But the functioning of the Governor should be within the bounds of established norms and conventions.