Bring more transparency in functioning of Governors, get them to record reasons for every decision: KV Viswanathan

There is a need to usher in greater transparency in the functioning of Governors of States by laying down parameters requiring Governors to record reasons for every decision taken by them, Senior Advocate KV Viswanathan recently said..He said that what is the need of the hour is not to abolish the office itself but to ensure that Governor's decisions and reasons for the same are in public domain and he is "named and shamed.""What is really required is not to abolish the office of Governor but lay down certain parameters. Get him to record reasons in every step down the line," Viswanathan said.If it is brought out and he has this fear that he would be named and shamed, then there would be genuine umpires of democracy, the senior counsel added..Viswanathan was speaking at the book launch of, 'Heads Held High: Salvaging State Governors for 21st Century India' by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and NAVI Books when he shared his thoughts on the office of a governor. .The event was also attended by founder of The Print, Shekhar Gupta..Viswanathan highlighted that Right to Information Act (RTI Act) and the press can play an important role in brining greater transparency and accountability to the Governor's office.He suggested that Governors' work can be scrutinised by making RTI mandatorily put on the website by certain mechanisms so that they are subject to public opprobrium and the press."Make it somehow mandatory to put it on the website, the RTI power so that he is subject to public opprobrium and the press…maybe some part (of press) is compromised but we have an independent press and if they take it up and expose the Governor," he said.He maintained that the office of a Governor is an important one but making his functions more transparent would be the way forward."I think unfortunately there is lot of opaqueness around his functions. If it is brought out and he has this fear that he would be named and shamed, then there would be genuine umpires of democracy. I think that is the way to go about this office. It is a necessary office, an important office but we need incumbency to manage moral fibre who have genuine democratic concern in mind. It is not that we have not had it, we have had exceptional people. I think way forward is this," he said..Further talking about the removal of a Governor, Viswanathan said that court interventions have definitely improved the situation from what it was before, at least in theory. However, the practical side depended on the people who operate..He went on to say that since Governors are purely executive appointees and the best way to streamline their work would be to make consultations mandatory and meaningful with the Chief Minister and make them transparent. "I don't think beyond that, in the Governors office there could be any restriction because it is purely (executive appointment). Even the role of disqualification is on the opinion of the Election Commission.".Read 2014 interview of KV Viswanathan here.