Pondy Min flays Bedi for 'derailing' Swachh Bharat scheme in Yanam

Terming the allegations levelled against her as "false, unfounded and misleading", Bedi said Rs 33.76 lakhs had been approved as grant in aid on July 1 for the Local Administration Department for garbage cleaning work in Yanam. The amount had already been allotted to the Yanam municipality to carry on the scheme.

Puducherry Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao on Sunday accused Lt Governor Kiran Bedi of 'derailing' the centrally sponsored 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' scheme in Yanam region, a charge dismissed by the latter as "false, unfounded and misleading." The scheme has come to a grinding halt in Yanam, an enclave of the Union Territory in Andhra Pradesh and Rao's constituency, since July 1 as sanitary workers have not been paid, he alleged. However, Bedi denied the allegations of the Health Minister that she had declined sanction of funds for the scheme for Yanam region and said he was 'giving wrong information to the people.' Addressing reporters through a virtual press meet, Rao said Bedi had been adopting a 'discriminatory stand' against Yanam.

Alleging that Bedi has not approved of the file for payment of wages to workers attached to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan program in Yanam for the last five to six months, Rao said, "the task of clearing the garbage could not be done since July 1 as the workers have not been given their pay." Rao pointed out that the Central government had already given instructions that during the current COVID-19 situation no section of workers should be denied wages as it would aggravate the source of livelihood of the have-nots. He said he would write to the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Secretary to Home Minister stating that Bedi has allegedly been hindering the development of Yanam.

If the cleaning work is not continued and if Bedi did not cooperate, there would be a possibility of Yanam witnessing several health issues, he claimed. Terming the allegations leveled against her as "false, unfounded and misleading", Bedi said Rs 33.76 lakhs had been approved as grant in aid on July 1 for the Local Administration Department for garbage cleaning work in Yanam.

The amount had already been allotted to the Yanam municipality to carry on the scheme. The fact of approval had already been highlighted in the weekly communication of 'files cleared' by her office issued on Saturday, she said.