Puducherry CM accuses Bedi of violating Madras HC order

Accusing Puducherry LG Kiran Bedi of allegedly violating Madras HC's direction that the Lieutenant Governor had no independent power, CM V Narayanasamy informed that the territorial government would soon file a petition in the high court against Bedi for acting arbitrarily and taking a negative stand on all decisions of the government.

Puducherry:Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said on Saturday that the territorial government would soon file a petition in the Madras High Court against Lieutenant Governor (LG) Kiran Bedi for allegedly violating its order.

The court had said that she must implement government's decisions and abstain from taking an independent stance.

"Bedi has been acting arbitrarily and taking negative stand on all decisions of the government violating the court order based on an appeal," the Chief Minister said.

He told newsmen that the High Court had, in an appeal filed by a Congress legislator some months ago, pointed out in its verdict clearly that the Lieutenant Governor had no independent power.

"She (Bedi) cannot act arbitrarily and take her own decisions without implementing the decisions of the government on various issues," he said while alleging that she was breaching the court order.

"We will move the court for directions to her as she has of late impeding government decisions on such issues like paying compensation to fishermen for loss of work during ban on fishing in the sea, addressing the grievances of workers in government undertakings and in implementing free rice scheme through ration shops in the Union Territory," he said.

On payment of compensation to fishermen for loss of work during the month-long ban, which ended last week, on fishing, the Lieutenant Governor had raised unnecessary questions which, Narayanasamy said, caused a delay in the payment.

"She had taken a negative stand out of aversion towards the Fisheries and Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao," the Chief Minister said while referring to the fishermen's agitation a few days ago demanding that she clear the file for the compensation.

On Friday, the fishermen staged a protest aboard their fishing vessels in the Bay of Bengal against the denial of relief to fishermen getting old age pension and blamed Bedi for alleged non-availability of the relief.

Later, Bedi approved disbursal of relief.

Narayanasamy warned officers who, he said, had failed to cooperate with the government.

"If the officers dance to the tune of the Lieutenant Governor, they too will be in the soup and face legal action," he said.

Bedi sending back files containing decisions of the government is blocking the implementation of various welfare schemes, he said.

The Chief Minister said the government had forwarded its file to the Union Home Ministry for sanction of funds for the budget for the fiscal 2020-2021.

The formalities involving the passing of the file to different sections in the Home Ministry and again in the Finance Ministry were the reason for the delay in presenting the budget at the appropriate time, he said.

It is wrong on the part of some sections to blame the territorial government for delay in submitting the budget, Narayanasamy said.

"However, I hope the Centre will give its nod for Puducherry government to submit the budget shortly," he said.

(PTI report)