Maintain sanctity of Constitution, Pranab tells Governors

PTI
NEW DELHI, February 9

Amidst controversies over the role of Governors, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said all those who hold constitutional positions should maintain sanctity of the Constitution.
“It is primarily due to our steadfast adherence to the principles enshrined in our Constitution. It is an enduring document that reflects our aspirations and the avenues to achieve them, in an inclusive manner.
“It is incumbent on us all who hold constitutional positions to maintain the sanctity of this sacred text,” Mr. Mukherjee said inaugurating a two-day conference of Governors at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
“We faced challenges from the global economic slowdown, climatic change, and internal and external security. States having international borders were affected by terrorist attacks that had clear external linkages.“Volatile external security environment makes it incumbent on us to upgrade our defence capabilities. At the same time, we have to continue our efforts at resolving all outstanding international issues through peaceful dialogue and negotiations,” the President said at the conference attended by 23 Governors and Lt. Governors of the States and Union Territories.
Mr. Mukherjee said India is suffering the worst effects of drought with two consecutive deficient monsoons.
“Another dry spell is likely to impact agricultural production further. Farmer distress has to be addressed on a war footing. The newly-launched Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana aims at providing effective risk cover to farmers using technology. This and other measures to provide relief to farmers should receive top priority.
“To develop climate resilience, we must task our agricultural research institutions to develop drought-proof varieties of food grains and other food commodities,” he said.
Dignitaries participating in the conference included Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya, among others.