PUDUCHERRY: Implementation of the free rice scheme suffered a setback when Lt Governor Kiran Bedi turned down Chief Minister V Narayanasamy led delegation’s plea for distribution of free rice and stuck to her decision of depositing cash into the bank accounts of beneficiaries and forwarded the file to the Centre.
Submitting the resolution adopted unanimously in the Assembly on September 6 for distribution of only rice to ration card holders, to Lt Governor at Raj Nivas on Saturday, the delegation led by the CM, wanted to retain the earlier system of the government procuring rice and distributing in kind, at the rate of 20 kg to BPL and 10 kg to Above Poverty Line (APL). The contention of the elected members was that distribution of cash would be misused and the family will not get the rice.
With the Lt Governor declining to concede to the decision of the cabinet and the resolution adopted in the Assembly, the chief minister along with ministers, Lok Sabha member and MLAs, walked out of the meeting. To prevent leakages and pilferage and complaints of infested rice, she had decided on direct transfer (DBT) of the entitled amounts into bank accounts of beneficiaries and give them the choice of time, quality, amount of purchase.
“Since there is a difference of opinion in this approach (between LG Governor and CM), we have referred the matter to the Government of India. Meanwhile, we have requested the Government of Puducherry to immediately release the entitled money, directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries,” said Bedi. The entire amount of Rs 160 crore allocated for the scheme, will then be spent in the Puducherry market.
“It will benefit our own traders and farmers,” she justified. This tussle over the implementation of the scheme, intensifies the turf war between the Lt Governor and elected government.