Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Friday accused Lt Governor Kiran Bedi of taking a “negative stand” on the implementation of various decisions of the cabinet while the latter denied having “obstructed” any welfare schemes.
Referring to the implementation of various welfare schemes in the Union Territory by his government, Narayanasamy said, “the negative stand of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi impeded implementation of decisions of the cabinet.”
“We decided to distribute Pongal gift hampers for all ration card holders. But Bedi returned the file and insisted that only families coming under ‘below poverty line’ should be covered and this was one such example where the government was put to embarrassing predicament,” he alleged.
Narayanasamy was addressing party workers at the celebration of the founding day of the Congress at the PCC office here. He also charged the NDA government at the Centre with “inflicting misery and hardship” on the people through “injurious policies” like demonetisation.
Criticising the NDA rule, he said it has caused “havoc” and welfare of the downtrodden and the have nots has been pushed to the background.
Reacting to the criticism, Bedi said she “is not at all opposed to any of the welfare schemes” and she was also not obstructing its implementation. She also maintained that her office was fulfilling its “sacred duty” by ensuring that the money meant for the poor reached the targeted sections.
A release from Raj Nivas also claimed that despite the financial limitations welfare schemes involving defrayment of Rs 1360 crores for payment of old age pension, widow pension, operating free rice scheme among other schemes “were not being compromised.” The Congress government has been at loggerheads with Bedi over various administrative matters.