Puducherry: “…has received no files relating to either service matters of the staff or those relating to financial approvals for several days now,’ said Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi in a whatsapp message to mediapersons yesterday.
She further stated that this act would have an impact on the working of the administration and thereby the people of the Union Territory. She alleged that government officials were trying to track the missing files. “We do not know where the files are, be it service matters or files requiring financial approvals as per the law governing the Union Territory administration and the Business Rules which are still in force and have not been amended,” said the former IPS officer.
She said it was her duty to inform the people that she has not been receiving receiving any government files for the last several days.
Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy have been at loggerheads on administrative issues ever since she assumed office in May 2016. Her powers were recently curtailed by the court for interfering in the functioning of the Pondy government.
Congress legislator K Lakshminarayanan had last year filed a writ petition protesting the interference of the Lieutenant governor in the routine activities of the government. The Madras High Court, in its verdict on April 30, stated that the Lieutenant governor ‘cannot interfere with the activities of the elected government.’
The court held that the lieutenant governor should not interfere in the activities of the government which would be tantamount to having a parallel government. In the wake of the verdict, the Chief Minister was maintaining that the officials should also adhere to the verdict that the elected government’s decisions should be acted upon lest they face contempt of court.
The Centre, in the meanwhile, has preferred an appeal in the supreme court over the Madras High Court verdict curbing the powers of the Lieutenant governor.