PD-BEDI-LD PONGAL HAMPER

Puducherry Chief Minister V

Narayanasamy Saturday warned Lt Governor Kiran Bedi of "very

serious repercussions" if she did not concur with his

government on the Pongal gift hamper scheme, but the latter

hit back asking him to "maintain decorum" in his speech.

Addressing reporters here, Narayanasamy, who has been at

loggerheads with Bedi on various issues, said he had on Friday

sent a file, informing her that Pongal hampers comprising

raisins, cashew nuts and cardamom should be available free of

cost to "all families without discrimination".

Attacking Bedi on the Pongal gift hamper issue, he said

she would face "very serious repercussions" if she did not see

eye to eye with his government on the matter.

"I have made it clear that the benefit should be

available for all families, including those belonging to above

poverty line category," he added.

He claimed that the recent Madras High Court order,

permitting distribution of freebies to all ration card holders

in Tamil Nadu without any discrimination, was also applicable

to Puducherry.

The chief minister charged the Lt Governor with "twisting

and misinterpreting" the court order which, he said, had only

restrained the Tamil Nadu government from distributing cash

gift of Rs 1,000 to all families.

"The free supply of provisions and commodities for Pongal

is to cover all families and the high court has also made this

very clear," he pointed out.

Bedi had on 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.

The former IPS officer had 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.

Noting that there was a limit to everything, Narayanasamy

said the Lt Governor "cannot run roughshod and misuse power

and authority".

He also termed as "unfortunate" Prime Minister Narendra

Modi's response to the representations made by him all along

on the style of functioning of the Puducherry Lt Governor.

Reacting to the CM's warning, Bedi in a whatsapp message

said, "I am personally not afraid of anything."

The Chief Minister and his colleagues should realise that

when a file is sent to her office for approval it shall be

read with "application of mind and rules as office of Lt

Governor is not a rubber stamp," she said and added it was

"principally wrong for them to expect theLt Governor to be a

mere endorser of their demands and views."

Bedi also requested the Chief Minister not to use

threatening words towards a constitutional office and

"maintain decorum" in his speech and in the notes he was

writing to her.

Otherwise she would be compelled to make those notes

public for people to know what and how he was writing, she

said.

Hoping that "wisdom and maturity" will prevail on him for

the larger welfare of the people of Puducherry, she wished the

Chief Minister a happy Pongal. PTI COR

ROH ROH