Bedi lists out challenges to Pondy administration in 2020

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Tuesday listed out the challenges for the territorial administration in 2020.

In her whatsapp message to mediapersons here, she said the challenges included the need to increase revenue from tourism and Excise sectors by bringing in policy improvement in auctioning of licences to deal in Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).

There should be improvement in collection of goods and services tax (GST) and collection of more tax from cable TV service, she said.

The rise in revenue would help clear arrears in payment of pensions and also provident funds and strengthen infrastructure, she said.

The former IPS officer said there should also be an increase in the number of sewage connections.

Another important challenge was conducting local body elections and give people of Puducherry grassroots-level democracy, Bedi said.

The others were: conserving groundwater for the benefit of farmers, improving results in schools, particularly in language and Mathematics which were identified as weak areas, filling up of vacancies in posts of teachers in higher education institutions, clearing backlog of vacancies in government departments through direct recruitment and also effect promotions, she said.

Batting for compulsory wearing of helmets by riders of two-wheelers almost from the beginning of her taking over the gubernatorial post in 2016, she said the Motor Vehicles Act should be enforced to ensure people used helmets and to improve conditions of roads and safety of road-users following the directive of the Supreme Court.