Guv post must be abolished, responsibilities given to HC chief justice: WB minister

The post of the governor must be abolished and his duties and responsibilities can be very well handled by the chief justice of the high court, West Bengal's parliamentary affairs minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said on Monday.

Kolkata : The post of the governor must be abolished and his duties and responsibilities can be very well handled by the chief justice of the high court, West Bengal's parliamentary affairs minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Chattopadhyay said he will raise the issue in the assembly when the monsoon session resumes. "There is no need for the post of the governor. The post must be abolished in a country like India where the political situation is very diversified and different parties rule different states. The post of the governor is often used for political purposes. It hinders development work and often leads to controversies," he said.

"I think the responsibility of the governor should be given to the chief justice. He can handle the task impartially. There is no point in spending so much public money for the governor's post," Chattopadhyay added.

Vice president elect Jagdeep Dhankhar's three-year-long tenure as the governor of West Bengal was marked by regular controversies, which often snowballed into public face-offs with the TMC government in the state. The statement comes in the backdrop of that acrimonious relationship, which ended after he resigned to fight the vice presidential election. PTI