Don’t see relationship between government and Raj Bhavan as sensitive: UP Governor Anandiben Patel

Lucknow: The government and the governor have to work for the people and there is little room for sensitivity in this complementary relationship, says Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, stressing that both have to work for the welfare of the people.

Patel, who took office on July 29, 2019, is the first woman governor of Uttar Pradesh since Sarojini Naidu in 1949 and also its longest serving.

“I don’t see the relationship between the government and Raj Bhavan as sensitive. Both the government and the governor have to work for the people. There is hardly any room for sensitivity,” Patel told PTI in an exclusive interview.

“Conflicts arise in states like West Bengal and Kerala where attempts were made to revoke the powers of the governors by making changes in the law and which subsequently led to court cases,” she said.

The responsibilities of the governor and the chancellor are intertwined and she enjoys them both, the governor said.

“Things are different here (in UP) than say in West Bengal or Kerala where chancellor-governors are hardly able to work in universities there. Here it is different as I also hailed from the same party (before becoming governor) as the one in government. That is why I don’t run into issues here,” she said.

Opposition ruled Kerala and West Bengal have seen growing acrimony between the state governments and governors with state governments moving to curtail the laws of the governor.

Patel also served as the governor of Chhattisgarh from August 15, 2018 to July 28, 2019 and Madhya Pradesh from January 23, 2018 to July 28, 2019.

“CM or ministers take decisions themselves on matters of development and follow it up right till implementation. Governors don’t finalise or sanction development tasks but all governors can surely undertake reviews of central government schemes or projects,” she said.

Patel, who was the first woman chief minister of Gujarat, said she meets everyone.

“As governor I meet everyone. Even as CM I met all, including opposition lawmakers, and cleared their projects over tea. If we don’t clear projects of opposition lawmakers then we do a great disservice to the people. If one doesn’t sanction a road of opposition leaders, won’t it mean causing inconvenience to the masses of that area? That’s why once elections are over and while one sits on constitutional position, one must act in all fairness and transparency.” Patel, a stickler for discipline, said that as chancellor of state universities she is working to bring about qualitative changes in the functioning of state universities.

“Visiting each district, meeting people and communicating their problems to the government are among the tasks undertaken by the governor. I have brought about a change in this system by connecting universities with anganwadis. Our prime minister talks about 50 per cent enrolment in universities and to meet the target, it’s imperative to ensure that all three year olds join the anganwadis. This is my mission,” she said.

“To draw students to anganwadis, it’s important to have playing facilities, availability of good nutritious food, holding various events so that families send students to anganwadis.” The governor said she has distributed educational kits, including objects such as a table, chair and cycle, in 25,000 anganwadis. “For this we got Rs 75 crore through public cooperation.” The eradication of tuberculosis and HPV vaccine administration are the other missions she has undertaken in the last five years.

“To achieve the target of TB-free India, UP is an important state… The central government has adopted this mission and so far nearly three lakh TB patients are now cured,” she said.

The HPV vaccine is to be administered to all girls between nine and 14 years to ensure that they remain free of cervical cancer. “This is happening due to public participation. So far nearly 15,000 girls have been administered two doses of this vaccine. This is ongoing,” Patel said.

The four-term Gujarat lawmaker recalled her early years.

“Whatever we are today is due to our upbringing. I have worked in the fields for 25 years. My parents fed me nutritious meals, imparted good values. Whatever be the responsibility, I fulfil it with dedication and passion. Work is my passion,” she said.

Discussing a plantation drive in Sitapur in July where she had publicly expressed her displeasure on seeing things not being done as planned, she said any work, whether of the government or not, should be undertaken with full honesty.

“The plantation event was in Lucknow too but I travelled to Sitapur as that event was in an army cantonment. I realised that the event was not accorded as much importance. Doing things for formality is not my nature. The programme was titled, ‘ek ped maa ke naam’ ... where was ‘mother’ in that event? Such a noble initiative of the PM and we couldn’t even plant one tree! That is why I said this was not right.”

After the dressing down though, the situation was rectified and she was sent a WhatsApp message that the work had been done.

“Honesty of purpose is on the wane. (People are) Just going through the motions." The effort is to inculcate in the minds of children the need to plant at least five to 10 trees that would help one and all in future, Patel said.

"But when elders engage in such things, what will children learn? Did I do anything wrong by pointing that out? I always say one shouldn’t remain quiet." Some people, she said, believe that this is “our party government” so one shouldn’t be vocal for fear of offending governments.

“But I believe that such things are not against the government. It is to set right our habits. That is why one should speak,” she added.