Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Friday said the day-to-day interference by Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi is hampering the government’s development and welfare programmes.
Inaugurating the day-and-night stir called by the Secular Democratic Alliance seeking the recall of Ms. Bedi, the Chief Minister said several of the programmes, including those in the election manifesto, could not be implemented due to the obstructions created by the Lt. Governor.
Free rice could be distributed only for six months because of the insistence of the Lt. Governor to transfer money to the beneficiaries’ accounts.
Even when the government agreed to procure rice from the Food Corporation of India at ₹28 per kg for distribution through Public Distribution System outlets, the Lt. Governor did not agree. The government proposal to procure rice from FCI was mooted after the Lt. Governor observed that buying rice from open market would lead to corruption, the Chief Minister said.
Rice preferred
Women in villages prefer to obtain rice as the men in the families would take the money from banks and use it for “other” purposes. Sometimes, money transferred to the beneficiaries would not be sufficient because of price fluctuations in the market, he added.
The Chief Minister also held the Lt. Governor responsible for the closure of textile mills and the delay in recruitment of police constabulary and clerical posts, as well as in getting funds.
He also accused Ms. Bedi of not following the Cabinet’s order and subsequent directions of the Centre to delegate more financial powers to Cabinet members, Chief Secretary and Secretaries.
“The intent of the protest is to seek removal of the Lt. Governor and for that the government is willing to sacrifice anything. The rights of people have been taken away and we will do everything to protect it,” he added. The Chief Minister also questioned the necessity of deployment of Central forces. The idea was to scare people away from the protest, he added.