Bedi's stand on postponing civic office inaugural wrong: CM

Puducherry, Feb 12 (PTI): Chief Minister of PuducherryV Narayanasamy on Friday said it was matter of concern thatthe Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi had ordered thepostponement of the inauguration of the renovated structureof the Municipal office (Marie) slated for today.

Bedi had contended that the renovation of the structurewas done with the aid from the Centre and that Centralgovernment officials should have been invited fortheinauguration.

''This is an utterly wrong and an incorrect stand asthere is no grant from the Centre,'' the Chief Ministersaid.

''The territorial government had approached the WorldBank throughthe Central government for assistance. As partof the World Bank's programmes to conserve heritagestructures,'' he said.

The Chief Minister said the new structure wasconstructed at a cost of Rs 14 crore from out of the WorldBank assistance after the previous building dating back tothe 19th century collapsed under the impact of the rain someseven years ago.

The Chief Minister's Parliamentary Secretary KLakshminarayanan alleged that the Lt Governor had always beenanti-people and had been deliberately standing in the way ofall developmental works.