Responding to Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi’s direction to the Chief Vigilance Officer to examine the disbursements from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Friday said Ms. Bedi should first reveal the details of the fund utilised by the Raj Nivas.
Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said there was no irregularity in the allocations made from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, and hence, any agency was free to conduct a probe. “Let Ms. Bedi make public the utilisation of funds by the Raj Nivas, and then I will do the same. The Raj Nivas incurs an expenditure of ₹8 crore annually. I will also write to the Chief Vigilance Officer seeking a probe, as there are allegations of misuse of the money collected for the Corporate Social Responsibility programme. The President has been apprised of the issue,” he said.
On the Lt. Governor’s decision to postpone the inaugural of the renovated Mairie Building as the Centre’s representative was not involved in the opening ceremony, he said the funds for the project were sourced from the World Bank. “It is not the Centre’s money. The Centre was only a facilitator. She acted with vendetta as her name was not on the invite list,” he said.
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The foundation for the reconstruction of the building was laid during his government’s time, he said. adding as Chief Minister and chairman of the State Disaster Management Authority he had to the right choose the invitees.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister K. Lakshminarayanan, who was also present at the press conference, said the Lt. Governor has no right to postpone the inaugural event. “If the Lt. Governor is not giving permission, he along with people of his constituency will open the premises for public,” he said.