Shimla, March 9 -- Outgoing Himachal Pradesh governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Sunday termed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's absence during President Droupadi Murmu's visit to the state "highly shameful." Criticising the West Bengal government for the protocol breach, Shukla said the act tarnished the country's constitutional ethos. "The President does not belong to one or two states; the President represents the entire nation. Such a situationshould not have arisen," he said. The President had arrived in West Bengal to attend a tribal community event, but thechief minister's absence at the airport sparked a fresh political flashpoint between the Centre and the state. Before leaving for Telangana to take over his new gubernatorial assignment, Shiv Pratap Shukla also expressed concern over the lack of a "work culture" in Himachal Pradesh. He noted that states like Uttarakhand, formed decades after Himachal, have surged ahead in development. "Work culture needs to be strengthened so that development can progress at a faster pace. Politics should not only be about power; it must focus on public welfare," he said, adding that the state needs serious introspection to bridge this gap. Shukla also flagged the rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases in the state, despite a target to make Himachal TB-free by 2024. He appealed to the media to continue awareness campaigns to meet the health goal. Reflecting on his three-year stint, which saw frequentfriction between Raj Bhavan and the state government, Shukla dismissed reportsof a rift as a "misunderstanding." He clarified that there were no institutional differences, though he admitted that on the contentious issue of the Forest Conservation Act in tribal areas-a major sticking point with revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi-the state government had failed to provide required information. Regarding the state's demand for continued GST compensation and revenue deficit grants, the governor suggested a shift in financial planning. "If the state government accepts that the five-year GST compensation period has ended, it can move forward with alternative planning. Otherwise, it will continue to lag behind," he said. Expressing gratitude to the President and the PrimeMinister for his new role in Telangana, Shukla noted the geographical shift from a cold region to a tropical one. He concluded by thanking the media for its role in the 'Nasha Mukti Himachal' initiative against drug abuse, describing Himachal as a peaceful state where he worked with full devotion....