Pondy CM remains silent even as Lt Guv encroaches upon powers of elected govt: Narayanasamy

I sent copies of these verdicts to Tamilisai Soundararajan for her perusal, he said and added that the Lt Governor should not interfere in the routine administration and the Chief Minister should also avoid being silent when such encroachments took place here.Narayanasamy also took strong exception to fake videos on the migrant workers issue in Tamil Nadu.

Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader V Narayanasamy on Monday questioned Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan about receiving petitions from the public highlighting their grievances. Addressing reporters at his residence here, he said, ''the Lt Governor is only encroaching upon the powers of elected government by intervening in the routine administration by receiving petitions from the people at Raj Nivas (office-cum-residence of the Lt Governor) every month.

''What follow up action the Lt Governor takes after receiving petitions from the people,'' he said and pointed out that Chief Minister N Rangasamy ''is letting the Lt Governor conduct the public grievances meetings at her office without raising his objection.'' The Congress leader said that it had already been clarified by the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court in the petitions he (Narayanasamy) had filed during his tenure as Chief Minister that the Lt Governor should not overstep their limits and should function only within the powers enshrined in the constitution. ''I sent copies of these verdicts to Tamilisai Soundararajan for her perusal,'' he said and added that the Lt Governor should not interfere in the routine administration and the Chief Minister should also avoid being silent when such encroachments took place here.

Narayanasamy also took strong exception to 'fake videos' on the migrant workers issue in Tamil Nadu. He charged State BJP president K Annamalai with spreading ''false rumours on the migrant workers issue.'' Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had come out with firm statements that migrant workers from north Indian states were safe in Tamil Nadu. Narayanasamy said that despite the safe and secure position of the workers ''fake videos and false rumours were sent which was only intended to cause unrest and tension.'' Meanwhile, the Lt Governor while flagging off of a cycle rally organised by Health Department highlighting the International Women's Day at Raj Nivas today said that the issue of migrant workers ''should be handled with utmost care''. She said that as far as Union Territory of Puducherry was concerned ''the people here deemed all as brothers and sisters. No difference is shown on the basis of culture, language and States in Puducherry.'' She said that a sense of unity and brotherhood would emerge ''if there is a feeling that all are Indians.'' She praised the Puducherry government for introducing monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to the women members in the families. ''Such a monthly assistance scheme was announced in Tamil Nadu. But it has not come into force there while it is implemented in Puducherry,'' the Lt Governor said.