Kiran Bedi tries to cut Puducherry CM’s financial powers

Home Ministry sitting on proposal; L-G order tries to relegate chief minister to a mere ceremonial post
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi (File | PTI)
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi (File | PTI)

PUDUCHERRY: The showdown between Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy in governing the Union Territory of Puducherry has reached a new flashpoint with the former issuing an order withdrawing all the financial powers bestowed upon the latter.

This she has done in the capacity of the UT’s administrator three months ago, but the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has not given concurrence to her order thus far.

Highly-placed sources said Bedi issued an order withdrawing the financial powers of the CM and also the secretaries to the government and handing it over to Chief Secretary with a Rs 5 crore cap.

Presently, the CM enjoys financial powers to sanction funds up to Rs 10 crore, while it is limited to Rs 2 crore to the secretaries of all departments. Through her order, the L-G has attempted to relegate the Chief Minister to a mere ceremonial post and empower the Chief Secretary, who until now has no say in financial matters, with powers to sanction funds up to Rs 5 crore.

“She had directed the Chief Secretary Manoj Parida to notify her order, but he did not comply with it. As he felt it was not in right earnest, he referred the matter to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs,” an official source said.

While Parida had kept the file aside noting that a delegate, in this case the L-G, cannot further sub-delegate the powers, the ministry has not given effect to the order. Hence, status quo is being maintained.
Bedi, however, justified her decision saying, “it will help me respond holistically to financial approvals.” Under the current administrative set-up, financial proposals below Rs 10 crore do not warrant her approval. They can be approved by the Chief Minister.

“Her order if allowed to be passed would empower the L-G to enjoy financial powers for approval of proposals up to Rs 50 crore and the CM will not be able to approve any financial projects despite holding the finance portfolio,” the source said, adding the ministers would also be deprived of getting projects up to Rs 2 crore implemented as their department secretaries would be stripped of the powers.

Asked about L-G’s ‘daring’ order, the CM preferred not to comment. Though she has been time and again charging the Congress government with violating financial rules and committing irregularities and the CM has been responding to her tweets and challenging her to prove them, the order has stirred up a hornet’s nest now.

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