Telangana Guv Tamilisai Soundararajan sworn in as Puducherry

Telangana Governor TamilisaiSoundararajan on Thusday assumed additional charge of theunion territory of Puducherry and said she will function as a''people's Governor'' and according to the Constitution.

She said she had not come to Puducherry with anyulterior motive but to serve the people.

The fifth woman to be appointed Lt Governor of theUnion Territory, Soundararajan was sworn in at a simplefunction at the Raj Nivas where she took oath in Tamil.

She succceeds Kiran Bedi.

Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Sanjib Banerjeeadministered the oath of office to Soundararajan, who hailsfrom nearby Tamil Nadu.

Later, addressing reporters, she said ''I know what arethe powers of a Governor, powers of Lt Governor and ChiefMinister, of elected members and officers.'' She would function as a ''people's governor.'' ''There would be no obstacles between me and thepeople. I will peruse every issue thoroughly and serve thepeople,'' Soundararajan said.

The new Lt Governor said she was glad she had beengiven the opportunity to serve the people of Puducherry andwould address their concerns.

In a sudden development on Tuesday, Bedi was removedas Lt Governor of Puducherry, with President Ram Nath Kovindgiving additional charge of the UT to the Telangana governor''with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office,until regular arrangements for the office of Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry are made''.

Soundararajan's taking charge comes at a time when theruling Congress-led government has lost its majority after onemore party MLA quit the party on Tuesday, the total numberbeing four.

When her attention was drawn towards the oppositionplea with the LG's office on Wednesday seeking direction tothe CM to prove majority on the floor of the House in the wakeof the ruling party's depleted strength, Soundararajan said,''I am aware of this...'' ''...I will go through the representation thoroughly inkeeping with the provisions of the Constitution, she said,adding, she would ''hold the scales even.'' Puducherry Assembly Speaker V P Sivakolundhu, ChiefMinister V Narayanasamy, Ministers, Leader of the oppositionN Rangasamy, former PWD Minister A Namassivayam (now in BJP)and officials of UT administration were among those present atthe swearing-in ceremony today.

Later, the Lt Governor was presented a guard of honourby the Puducherry police outside Raj Nivas.

Tamilisai Soundararajan is the fifth woman to holdthe post of Lt Governor of Puducherry, the others beingChandrawati, Rajendra Kumari Bajpai, Rajani Rai and Bedi.

She was given additional charge of Puducherry afterBedi, a former IPS officer, was removed in the face of herbeing at odds with the ruling dispensation over a host ofissues, with Narayanasamy petitioning Kovind recentlydemanding her recall, alleging she interfered in theadministration.

The Congress party had been demanding her recall forlong.

After assuming charge, Soundararajan said she hadsigned two important files--one on providing financialassistance to the Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes andthe other pertaining to aid under AIDS Control programme.

On the COVID front, she said the response to thevaccination against the contagion in Puducherry--for Healthand frontline workers- was not up to the mark.

''This pains me and I would appeal to all to getvaccinated,'' Soundararajan, a medical doctor, said.

She appealed to the people here to adhere to safetyprotocols to keep COVID-19 at bay.

She said she would take the COVID jab as one among thecitizens. ''I do not want to jump the queue,'' Soundararajanadded.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)