With Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi and the Congress-led government headed by V. Narayanasamy completing one year in office, The Hindu sought responses from them on the frequent clash of wills over governance issues between the Union Territory’s titular head and its political supremo, the seemingly irreconcilable differences in interpretation of the UT Act and Rules of Business of Government of Pondicherry, 1963, and the fallout of this on development and welfare projects in Puducherry. Excerpts from the e-mail interview:
If L-G is a rubber stamp, why send files?: Kiran Bedi
On completing a year as Lt. Governor of Puducherry, do you think that your relations with the Congress-led Government are now beyond repair…?
The Union Territory needs a Chief Secretary who remains neutral and professional. It is his duty to ensure observance of business rules by the administration. Unfortunately, he has hurt the functioning completely. Once the UT gets a mature, impartial and professional Chief Secretary, the administration could come back on the rails.
You have repeatedly asserted that you would refuse to be a rubber stamp administrator. At the same time, is there any merit to the Government’s complaint that the Lt. Governor was interfering in governance, especially in the decision-making and policy formulation?
If every file on major financial approval, transfers and postings, policy approvals, planning, contracts, committees, rules and regulations and so on have to come to me finally, then am I to be a mere endorser?
Am I and my team not to ensure decisions are in order? Is it not our responsibility to see proper examination and scrutiny of what has been proposed?
Is due examination and scrutiny of files interference or intervention where it may have gone wrong?
If LG is a rubber stamp then why send the files? Keep a stamp with you and clear the file yourself.
Problem is the due exercise of financial prudence and fairness in all postings and transfers. We have not allowed any form of exploitation or irregularities.
In fact by our close observance of rules we have been able to put the administration back on track.
What are your core issues with the Puducherry Government?
They told me months ago that 'madam an LG has only a ceremonial role. Hence your are a figure head'.
I told them please read the UT Act and the Business Rules.
The LG is bestowed with heavy financial responsibility, all service matters, matters of security, law and order, and several other responsibilities.
The Lt. Governor, unlike Governors of States, does not enjoy any legal immunity from acts of omission of commission.
In several remarks both on social media and otherwise, you have said that despite exercising financial prudence on your part you said have received complaints of fiscal abuse in Government... could you elaborate on the nature of this abuse…
Yes I have already referred such matters for investigations by central agencies.
The Chief Minister has stated in the Assembly that you were spreading falsehoods against the elected representatives and the officials in the PG medical admissions issue… in fact he has even challenged you to prove the charges. Your response?
The government completely messed up the medical admissions. The Centac was functioning without even a standard operating procedure. It was opaque and insensitive.
It was violating several directions of the Government of India and the MCI which we caught red handed. Now we are insisting on a proper system in place before the UG admissions begin. I have written on this to the Honourable Chief Minister.
This is the job of the CS which he has failed to do. As these matters require administrative coordination.
Is the power struggle between the Lt. Governor and the elected Government disrupting the clearance or progress of development projects or welfare schemes?.
This is where the role of the chief secretary is wanting.
Had he been proactive and neutral, projects would not suffer.
As he is the secretary of the Cabinet, he should bring in all important aspects for discussions and approvals.
Ours is an elected government that has the democratic right to govern: CM
The differences between your government and Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi have worsened in the last few months. What is your main grouse against Ms Bedi?
I don’t have any grouse against the Lt. Governor personally. Every organ of the government, including the Lt. Governor, has to function within the Constitutional framework, UT Act and Business Rules. She is violating the Constitutional provisions and the mandate of the majority of the people (who elected the Congress in the 2016 elections).
Ms. Bedi has maintained that the government was at loggerheads with her because of her insistence for financial prudence and upholding of the rule of law.
Our government has been following financial discipline in letter and spirit. It is her imagination that our government is not following financial prudence. In the name of financial prudence, existing welfare schemes like Old Age Pension, Disabled/Widow Pension, rice to the poor, Centac scholarships cannot be denied since these are our government’s assurances to the people.
Has your differences with the Lt. Governor been about her raising some issues or the manner in which she has gone about handling them, most recently the direct intervention in the PG medical admissions case?
The Lt. Governor wants to run day-to-day administration, thinking that our government is a puppet. Ours is an elected government which has democratic rights to govern the State.
It is only my government which got 50% of the medical seats as government quota in PG courses. None of the past governments did it. This has been done with repeated deliberations with all, including Government of India. The Fee Committee Chairman was appointed by the High Court of Madras and they are not coming under the purview of UT administration.
By giving false hope to students that the deemed universities are coming under the Fee Committee, she has misguided the students and this cheap popularity will not last long.
She has no right to intervene in the PG course admissions. Our government did counselling for PG courses in a transparent manner and it was acknowledged by the Ministry of Health, Government of India.
Do you think that the government had been hesitant in taking bold enough steps for getting students admitted to private medical colleges under the government quota?
No. In the past, the previous government did not take any step to get 50% PG seats (from private medical institutions). Our government succeeded and got 50% seats. It is incorrect to say that our government is reluctant to get the seats.
Has the power struggle affected the progress of important projects, especially welfare and development schemes?
Myself and my ministers are not for power struggle. The Lt. Governor is blocking schemes and projects brought out by our government for State development.
The Lt Governor has been reiterating that she would not be reduced to a rubber stamp…?
Under the Constitution, Article 239, 239A and 240, first Proviso Powers of Puducherry elected Legislative Assembly and Ministers are defined.
Ministers and Chief Minister are primarily responsible for day-to-day administration.
Given the history of clashes between the Government and the Lt. Governor in the past and the present, will your government renew efforts to get Statehood for Puducherry?
Statehood is not the solution for the present situation.
