“One resigns from a job, not a mission,” was Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi’s riposte to Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy’s demand for her resignation on “moral grounds for losing the confidence of the Centre”.
Mr. Narayanasamy, at a recent press conference, had cited several instances of Ms. Bedi being at odds with the Centre such as the decision of the Puducherry cabinet to waive the loans of farmers in the Union Territory which was first rejected by her, but subsequently upheld by the Union Home Ministry. Similarly, the Centre approved the cabinet’s decision to extend the term of office of Chairmen of Public Sector Undertakings in spite of the Lt. Governor’s efforts to create hurdles.
However, Ms. Bedi wanted the Chief Minister “to understand that one resigns from a job and not a mission”.
“If I were not on a mission why would I spend every weekend from 6 a.m. with Team Raj Nivas and officers of the departments concerned the whole of last two years,” Ms. Bedi countered.
‘My focus is on growth’
Ms. Bedi listed out as her missions as making Puducherry prosperous, ‘Swachh’, water-rich, financially secure, responsive and skilled.
Her weekend visits, she said, focused on rural areas in need of resources, and attention, such as drains or ponds or rivers or bed dams, needing to be cleaned of filth and garbage; or places which can be revived, like abandoned lakes and water bodies, or ensuring people’s money is spent with prudence, not wasted.
The other focus areas were to ensure that poor man’s money is not corrupted/diverted, hearing out and addressing grievances daily in the Open House at Raj Nivas and ensuring Puducherry medical students do not get exploited, Ms. Bedi added.
“Whatever is being done is because it is the right thing to do. In fact we need to do much more. That will happen if you join in. So instead of asking me to stop doing, join the mission if you love Puducherry,” Ms. Bedi responded to the Chief Minister.
