Welfare Minister calls off dharna on request by CM

(Eds; updating with fresh inputs ) Puducherry, Jan 19 (PTI): Puducherry Welfare Minister MKandasamy on Tuesday ended his dharna outside Raj Nivas overthe alleged delay in Lt Governor Kiran Bedi in clearingcertain project files, after Chief Minister V Narayanasamy methim and requested him to do so.

Earlier, Narayanasamy and his ministerial colleaguesstaged a dharna here, protesting 'denial' of permission entralpolice personnel to meet Kandasamy.

However he was later allowed to meet him.

The Chief Minister informed Kandasamy that he would leada delegation of ministers to Delhi on January 21 or 22 to meetthe President, seeking his intervention to sort out variousdifferences with the Lt Governor The welfare minister then ended his dharna and returnedto his office, accompanied by the Chief Minister and othercolleagues.

Kandasamy had gone on an indefinite dharna outside theAssembly premises since January 10 over the matter.

He suspended it on January 18 on the request of thespeaker V P Sivakolundhu to attend the one day session of theterritorial assembly, which adopted a resolution demandingrepeal of the central farm laws.

On Tuesday morning, he shifted the venue from theassembly premises to the front of the Raj Nivas.