Himachal Pradesh Governor on Wednesday stressed on the need for public access to government institutions on completion of one year. Rajendra Arlekar from Goa was BJPAppointed as the governor of the state last year. Since taking office, Arlekar has been aiming to make the governor a “leader of the people” by running several outreach programs.
He said, ‘I believe that Raj Bhavan should be Lok Bhavan. At the end of the day, we all serve the public in different capacities. And it is a sentiment that has been endorsed by other governors as well. Rajendra Arlekar said, by bridging the gap between governance and the people, the trust of the people can actually be earned. Indian Express,
For the past one year, the governor has made it a ritual to visit schools across the state and interact with students enrolled in the primary section. The governor holds a reading session and discussions are held on topics ranging from important historical events to freedom fighters.
The Governor is also visiting de-addiction centers in Shimla and other districts to review the situation. Curbing the drug menace has been a major issue for the government as a special task force was also formed earlier to deal with illegal drug abuse. The Governor has also been meeting farmers during regular visits to promote the government’s income doubling plan.
“The government has a very visionary policy of doubling the income of farmers. From apples to tomatoes, there are many products that
are being produced and are important for the livelihood of the farmers of the region. The message behind the policy should be conveyed in every possible way,” Arlekar said.
Apart from the talks, the doors of the Raj Bhavan have been opened to the public for several functions. Recently a cultural program was organized in the Durbar where the students of a Fine Arts College were invited for a cultural performance in the presence of other invitees. “While interacting with different sections of the society, one can understand their issues. In the coming months, I plan to do more tours so that people realize that there should be no barrier between the government structure and the public,” Arlekar said.
Rajendra Arlekar (68) has been associated with the BJP for more than three decades. He has been a two-time MLA and was also appointed as the Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly. Arlekar has held the state cabinet portfolio of Environment, Panchayats and Forests. He was the president of the Goa BJP unit and a member of the party’s national executive committee. Arlekar had earlier said that the post of governor was a show of ‘confidence’ for his continued work for the party.