Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, in an interaction with the media on the evening he took oath of office made it clear that he will abide by the Constitution during his term at the Raj Bhavan in Goa and support the government. His take on the duties of the Governor is that the holder of the office is bound to take decisions based on what that cabinet decides. Simultaneously he sought the cooperation of the people of Goa, with whom he would like to have a heart-to-heart relationship. Goa expects nothing less from the Governor than he abiding by the Constitution. Having already officiated as Governor of Mizoram, Pillai has the experience and so knows what is expected from the occupant of the office.
Goa had been without a full-fledged Governor since August 2020, after the abrupt transfer of Satya Pal Malik, who officiated for just 10 months. Since his transfer in August last year, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was officiating on dual charge. The new Governor has taken office at a critical time. There are less than seven months to go to the State Assembly elections and in the event of a hung Assembly, the occupant of the office will play a crucial role in government formation. Pillai who has been a political figure in the past knows just how important a role the Governor plays at this point of time.
Elections aside, Goa requires a Governor who takes more than a passing interest in the issues of the State and coordinates with the Centre on burning matters that affect the State and the people. In his first interaction with the media, Pillai said he had been briefed on the mining issue and that the Centre is committed to ensure iron ore mining activities resume at the earliest, but fended off the question on the River Mhadei issue explaining that he requires to study the matter first. The State government needs to keep the Governor informed on the Mhadei too, which is important for Goa, as well as the many other issues plaguing the State, the coal transportation being one of them.
The interventions of former Governor Malik on the Mhadei and mining issues during his brief 10-month tenure indicated that a Governor can play a pro-active role in a State’s administration and Goa would like to see that continue. Malik, taking an active interest in the affairs of the State, had written to the Centre on both issues seeking the Union Government’s intervention, besides taking up other issues including renovation of the Basilica of Bom Jesus. All of his intervention may not have gone well with the government, but he proved that a Governor can do more than just abiding by the government’s decisions. The issues he had taken up still remain unresolved, so perhaps Governor Pillai can take them forward and bring them to finality.
The new Governor has given an indication of one sector where he can help the State. From past experience of the Governor he could advise in the area of tourism. Pillai hails from Kerala and was Governor of Mizoram, both States that have a flourishing tourism industry and he has already said that the experience from these States would be used to transform Goa into a more attractive tourism destination and that sincere efforts would be made to further develop tourism and for the overall development of the State. Besides tourism, Goa needs a Governor who is a capable administrator, who will pay heed to the aspirations of the people and intercede with the Centre on issues that remain unresolved in the State and which require the Union government’s intervention.
