Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Friday welcomed the Madras High Court order dismissing a writ petition filed by Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy against a decision of Lt. Governor and the Centre to disburse cash instead of distributing free rice to ration cardholders in the Union Territory.
“We thank Justice C. V Kartikeyan of Madras High Court for upholding the directions of Government of India to the Puducherry Administration to transfer money directly into bank accounts for free rice and not the way it was earlier,” she tweeted.
In a message to reporters, Ms Bedi said the decision to transfer money was to prevent leakages and pilferages. “It empowers people financially without any middle men to buy rice of their choice and time,” the Lt Governor said. Denying charges levelled against her by Minister for Health Malladi Krishna Rao, the Lt. Governor said her office was not blocking any “financially sound and professionally vetted” proposals by the Chief Secretary and the Finance Department.
On the Minister’s claim about Island 5 in Yanam, Ms. Bedi said “We do not know what he is talking about. Nothing of this is on file please. I have nothing against the prosperity of Puducherry. I am only for due process, accountability and legality.”
On the delay in giving approval for a flood wall in Yanam, Ms. Bedi said the issue was under investigations by the CBI. “It’s still under a cloud,” the Lt Governor said. Ms. Bedi said time would tell whether the Lt. Governor’s office did anything for the people of Union Territory.
