Bedi has no authority to differ from govt's resolve: Pondy CM apprises PM

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Thursday accused Lt Governor Kiran Bedi of "constantly scuttling" his government with her statements on how a free rice scheme should be implemented during the lockdown to contain the coronavirus, PTI reported.

Talking to reporters in Delhi, Narayanasamy said the territorial government resolved that BPL families holding red colour ration cards should be supplied 5 kg rice during the current lockdown as per the announcement of the Prime Minister. However, the Lt Governor insisted that only cash which is equivalent to the quantum of rice should be paid to the BPL families.

"How can a Lt Governor differ from the Prime Miniter's directive applicable for the country as a whole?" he asked. Narayanasamy said, subsequently, Bedi made a u-turn and approved the supply of rice to red colour ration cardholders. But, she directed the officers to transport the rice in buses owned by the State Road Transport Corporation.

"If this system of moving rice is accepted, there would be a delay in its supply to the cardholders as larger consignment could be possible if bigger trucks were used," he said.

Narayanasamy said in the meantime there was a demand from all the leaders and legislators that all APL families holding yellow colour ration cards should also be supplied rice without any discrimination. When a file in this connection was sent to Lt Governor by Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, she took a stand that only cash should be distributed instead of rice to the APL families.

The CM said he had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of the "negative stand" the Lt Governor was constantly taking and interrupting the implementation of the scheme.

Referring to Bedi's allegation that he was lying and indulged in misinformation on the rice scheme issue, he said, "This is quite amusing and we do not budge from our stand that only rice should be distributed to all categories and that there should be no payment of cash."

"We have sent the file again to the Lt Governor making out our case that only rice should be distributed to the APL families. We are waiting for her reply. Let us see what would emerge," he said.

Earlier, Narayanasamy held talks with Welfare Minister Kandasamy and Congress MLAs Anandaraman and T Jayamoorthy, who staged a sit-in protest at Raj Nivas insisting that Bedi concede the decision of the government to supply rice to the cardholders of APL category.

Besides, three legislators belonging to AIADMK along with those from the AINRC and BJP staged a dharna on the precincts of the territorial assembly seeking undelayed implementation of the rice scheme to benefit the APL families.

The protesters called off their agitation after the Chief Minister assured them to take steps to ensure that the rice was distributed to APL category families. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had on Sunday said that he brought to the notice of the PM "unnecessary intervention" by Bedi in the implementation of his government's rice scheme for the APL families during the lockdown here.

Reacting to the allegations, Bedi termed as "lie and misrepresentation" Narayanasamy's briefing to Narendra Modi that she had been hindering the implementation of the scheme for APL (above poverty line) families in the Union territory.