Pondy CM demands Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's resignation over Madras HC order
PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Sunday urged Kiran Bedi to quit as Lt Governor after the Madras High Court had recently held that the Lt Governor "cannot interfere in the day-to-day activities of the elected government in the union territory".
The High court had laid down very clearly that the Lt Governor had no powers to act independently and that she must work "in tandem with the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers," he told reporters here.
He said the Madras High Court had given the historic verdict recently on a writ petition filed by Congress legislator K Lakshminarayanan questioning the Lt Governor`s interference in routine administration by elected government`.
Referring to various issues in which "interference by Bedi had impeded implementation of decisions of the cabinet," the Chief Minister said she had put obstacles in implementation of the cabinet decision to write off farm loans due from ryots to the cooperative banks.
He also pointed out that the government had approached the Union Home Ministry for its nod to write off crop loans and after getting approval "we could implement the decision".
Narayanasamy alleged that implementation of the free rice scheme was also obstructed by Bedi, who he said raised raising several "amusing and hypothetical queries".
He also listed various instances where intervention by the Lt Governor was a major 'bottleneck'. The recent judgement of the Madras HC restricting the intervention of the Lt Governor was a "big relief and would prove very positive in implementing cabinet decisions," he said.
He said that the court had also pointed out that decisions taken by the cabinet could be communicated to the Lt Governor and not for her approval. The chief minister said he had information that Bedi was planning to go on appeal against the High court verdict reining in her intervention.
"No appeal can be preferred by Bedi as administrator of Puducherry without the nod of the elected government," he added.
Narayanasamy who has been at loggerheads with Bedi on various administrative matters ever since she assumed charge in May 2016, said in a democracy "the elected government has the authorisation of the people and hence the Lt Governor cannot stand in the way of the implementation of the schemes decided by the cabinet".
Accusing Bedi of have been a major hindrance misusing her constitutional authority, he said as the High court had come out with clear picture of the powers of elected government she should quit office without any further loss of time.