Governor should be a positive and constructive link: Nitish

New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the office of the Governor should be a 'positive and constructive link' in facilitating development of the state rather than playing the role of a representative of the ruling party.

Taking part in the India Today Conclave discussions on 'Centre-State Divide', Mr Kumar along with Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje said right from the beginning, the role and responsibilities of the Governors had been a subject matter of discussion for a long time.

''I feel that this office should be used as a positive and constructive link and the Centre along with the state should help facilitate development in the states. There were discussions about the procedures under which a person has to be appointed,'' Mr Kumar, the senior Janata Dal (United) leader said.

In a democracy, a state government is elected to the office through a popular mandate like the Centre and by respecting the people's verdict, nothing should be done to impose Centre's views on the states, he noted.

The Centre-State relationship should be made more dynamic and the states should have its say on the plans and schemes to be adopted and deploy its resources according to the needs, Mr Kumar said.

''There can be conflicting political interests but national development and progress should be uppermost in the minds of both the Centre and States,'' he noted.

Mr Kumar said there was a wrong notion in the country that Bihar was a water surplus state because it faced floods every year.

Though Ganga flows over 600 kms in Bihar, it could not utilise any water for itself because Uttar Pradesh, the upper riparian state used substantial amount of water, Mr Kumar added.

Ms Raje said that eventhough Rajasthan was the country's biggest state geographically it was a victim of frequent droughts as it did not have stable and assured water source and the Centre should provide improve the water sources.

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