Did not want to destabilise govt, so didn't share EC opinion on Soren in office-of-profit case: Ramesh Bais

RANCHI: Outgoing Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais said that he did not disclose Election Commission’s (EC) opinion related to the office-of-profit case against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren as he did not want to destabilise the government. During an interactive session with selected media persons at Raj Bhawan in Ranchi on Wednesday, Bias said that if any such matter comes to Governor, he can take the time he wants to pass the order, as there no time limit prescribed for him.

Governor, however, was of the opinion that Chief Minister Hemant Soren is a good leader, but the work culture among the officials and the ministers is bad, and they also lack vision. 

Notably, despite repeated requests by Soren and his party, the Governor did not pass any order against Soren and sat on EC’s opinion since August last year.

"I have seen Jharkhand getting destabilised again and again in the past….. and I did not want uncertainty in the state and hence, I did not made EC’s opinion public. Soren had come to me with a request to make it public, but I told him that he should instead, focus on his work, I will take a decision whenever I will feel like," said Bais while responding to a question on the EC’s opinion on the matter.

"Interestingly, maximum decisions in public interest were taken by Hemant Soren government after EC opinion was received by him," he added. When asked, what is there inside EC’s envelop, Bais refused to disclose saying that the ball is in his successor’s court. 

According to Governor, work culture in Jharkhand is not 'conducive' for developmental works. The Governor was of the opinion that law and order is a 'big problem' in the state which needs to be acted upon, saying, law and order needs to be in order to attract businessmen for investments in Jharkhand.

Referring to Soren’s allegations that he wanted to destabilise the government in Jharkhand, Bais reacted, "Had there been any such thing in my mind, I could have passed the order," he said. 

"People can make allegations but I act only according to constitutional provisions," he added. 

Answering a question that his inaction in the matter of office of profit case led to serious political crisis in the Jharkhand, Bais said in a lighter vain that what could be done if someone is afraid of his own shadow.

When asked about reason behind returning of 1932-Khatian based Local Policy Bill-2022 passed by Jharkhand Assembly, the Governor said that had to thing seriously before giving his nod as a bill had already been rejected by the Jharkhand High Court and Assembly itself.

“Major concern was what will happen to the districts which were formed after 1932,” said the Governor.