Right from the start, the governor’s presence has been a thorn in Centre-State relations. Despite several Commissions and court judgments decreeing that the governor must follow the State Cabinet’s advice in most matters, governors continue to do the Centre’s bidding even as crores of rupees of taxpayer money from the States’ coffers are spent every year to maintain them in their splendour.
What commissions and judgments pronounced
Over several decades, there have been several Commission reports and Court judgments on the vexed issue of Central control in State matters and the role of governors. A look at the most significant ones:
Where the Raj Bhavans are
There are 38 Raj Bhavans all over India. Five States have two Raj Bhavans each: Tamil Nadu (Chennai and Ooty), Uttarakhand (Dehradun and Nainital), West Bengal (Kolkata and Darjeeling), Odisha (Bhubaneswar and Puri), and Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal and Pachmarhi).
Raj Bhavan, Kolkata.
Chandigarh is the only city with two Raj Bhavans (Punjab and Haryana). Maharashtra is home to four Raj Bhavans: Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, and Mahabaleshwar.
The Nainital Raj Bhavan estate is spread over 220 acres and includes a 45-acre golf course.
The Nainital Raj Bhavan estate is spread over 220 acres and includes a 45-acre golf course. Spread over 156 acres, the Chennai Raj Bhavan estate is located within a reserved forest area.
State spending on governors
The Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1982 (43 of 1982) governs the expenditure incurred by governors and Raj Bhavans and the maximum amount each Raj Bhavan is eligible for under various heads.
These amounts include the salaries of all staff of the governor’s secretariat and the household establishment, contract allowances, expenses towards repairs, maintenance of gardens, electricity, water, and improvement, hospitality, entertainment, and maintenance and repairs of furnishings, and office and tour expenses.
