PD-BEDI-GIFT

Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran

Bedi Wednesday hailed the Madras High Court order directing

the Tamil Nadu government to restrict the Pongal cash gift of

Rs 1,000 to Below Poverty Line families.

Bedi, who has come under attack from Chief Minister V

Narayanasamy after she insisted on sticking to a government

order which restricted Pongal gift hamper scheme to BPL

families in the union territory, said the high court order is

"a voice of wisdom, sagacity, financial prudence."

The Madras High Court Wednesday directed that the

Pongal cash gift be limited to BPL families as against the

AIADMK government's decision to provide it to all ration

card-holders irrespective of financial status.

The court had issued the order on a PIL petition

challenging the government decision contending that it had

been taken unmindful of the state's financial condition.

In a message to the media, Bedi said the order "is a

voice of wisdom, sagacity, financial prudence and reasonable

restraint protecting society as a whole... also one of

accountability and responsibility towards the really needy."

The former IPS officer also said the order was a

message to the executive and public officials making them

sensitive to their responsibility and duty to serve with full

awareness.

The Pongal gift in Puducherry comprises among others

rice, jaggery, cashew nut and raisins required to make sweet

pongal, a delicacy offered to the God on the harvest festival

day.

However, the chief minister has been opposing the Lt

Governor's stand and wants the gift to be made available to

all including above poverty line families for the festival.

The chief minister has returned the file related to

the scheme to Bedi recording the government's protest.