CM flays L-G Bedi's directive to officials on PG admissions

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today criticised Lt Governor Kiran Bedi for her directions to officials involved in the ongoing counselling process for post-graduate medical courses and accused her of adopting a "misleading approach" on the matter.
Making a statement in the Union territory assembly, he alleged Bedi was criticising ministers and officials on social media and said she should stop making "derogatory remarks".
Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao, who also spoke on the PG admission issue, alleged the LG was enacting "a drama to malign the government ... She does not have competence to hold the gubernatorial post any longer".

Bedi had on May 30 conducted a surprise inspection of the counselling process by the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) here and directed officials to ensure 50 per cent of seats available under government quota were filled and not given to private colleges or to all-India quota.
Narayanasamy termed as "incorrect" the statement of Bedi that the UT government had given away its quota in PG medical seats to private colleges.
"It is totally incorrect and misleading on the part of the Lt Governor to rush to CENTAC (office) on May 30 and order the Convenor to issue letters offering seats to some students. She had levelled an allegation that government quota seats had been given away to management quota. This is not correct," he said.

He asserted that it was due to his government's "sustained efforts" that the students of the Union territory for the first time got the state quota of 50 per cent of the 318 PG seats available in the colleges in Puducherry.

Maintaining that at no stage the government was careless on the issue, he said it had directed private medical colleges to admit the students sponsored by CENTAC and also accept fees fixed by the Fee Committee for the government quota seats.
The chief minister accused the LG of frequently making comments against ministers of Puducherry and also officials through her WhatsApp or Twitter.

"If she has any complaints on the issue she should bring them to my notice... Without any evidence she has no right to level allegations," he said.
Bedi should stop making such "derogatory comments and criticisms," Narayanasamy said.
Rao said the government does not want the students face hardship in getting seats under government quota in the PG medical courses.
He said it was his responsibility to ensure admission of students selected by CENTAC under the state quota to pursue PG courses in private colleges.
"Students' interest is of paramount importance for us," he added.
Bedi and the Congress government are locked in a cold war over various issues since she assumed the post in May last year.

In January this year, Congress and DMK MLAs demanded that the Centre recall Bedi, a BJP leader and former IPS officer, for her alleged "dictatorial" style of functioning, bypassing the elected legislature.