PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Wednesday attributed the dip in COVID-19 cases here to Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi's cooperation and the team spirit of all engaged in combating the pandemic.
Addressing a virtual press conference, the Chief Minister, who has been at loggerheads with the Lieutenant Governor since she assumed office in May 2016, said, "All sections and also cooperation of the Lt Governor have been playing a pro-active role in fighting COVID-19."
He further said this unified approach is responsible for the decline in the cases of infection.
"All are putting in team work and there is also cooperation of the Lt Governor to fight the pandemic," he said.
He said no particular organisation or individual should be given the credit as has been sought to be given by some sections of late.
Giving credit to an organisation or to some individuals would virtually demoralise others as there should be a broad- minded approach in fighting the pandemic without giving room for any section to be hurt, he said.
Earlier, Narayanasamy, kickstarting the implementation of the Smart City project, said the project involved an investment of Rs 1,828 crore with contribution from the Central and the Puducherry governments.
In the first phase, he said, Rs 200 crore would be spent to develop infrastructure and basic amenities to attract tourists.
He said there were attempts to block the implementation of the project without identifying who had placed obstacles in executing the Smart City project.
"We will clear the obstacles and go ahead with the implementation of the project," he said.
Narayanasamy said the views and guidelines of scientists and experts in countries like the UK, France and other European countries would be enlisted through a video conference by health professionals from here on Sunday next to eradicate the pandemic here.
"With the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) the foreign scientists' views will be incorporated in the action plan of the territorial government to counter the pandemic situation here," he said.
Narayanasamy and Bedi have been engaged in heated exchanges over the function of the territorial administration with him alleging that she was interfering in the administrative matters.
Their stand-off had reached the courts too.
Meanwhile, the Union Territorty recorded 518 fresh cases of coronavirus and 13 related deaths, taking the aggregate so far to 21,111 and the number dead to 418.