NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, APRIL 24
Rejecting the Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy’s charges against her on the issue of free rice scheme as nothing but a “misinformation” and “misrepresentation of facts,” Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said the former was “playing politics” by levelling untrue allegations.
Bedi’s response comes a day after the CM reiterated his allegation that she was ”disrupting” implementation of the scheme for the poor, during the lockdown in the Union Territory. “When it is time to come together for the containment of COVID-19 and work in unison for ensuring safety and good health of the people of Puducherry the Chief Minister is playing politics,” she said in a whatsapp message to the media on Friday.
Narayanasamy minced no words to charge the Lt Governor with hindering implementation of the free rice scheme. He had also said that all representations made to the Prime Minister and Home Minster did not evoke any response.
In her message, Bedi said, “the Chief Minister continues to make allegations far from truth against her and the Centre when the facts are to the contrary.” Listing the benefits extended by the Centre under various schemes to the Union Territory, she said a sum of Rs 500 has been credited to the bank account of each of the 83,000 women beneficiaries here during the first week of the current month involving defrayment of Rs 4.13 crores, under the Pradhan Mantri Jhan Dhan Yojana.
Additional quantum of free rice was sanctioned to benefit 6.5 lakh beneficiaries coming under BPL families under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Anna yojana, she said. The central government has released through Food Corporation of India 9,425 tonnes of rice to Puducherry for distribution.
Nearly 60 per cent of the beneficiaries have been issued the rice, she said and claimed that the territorial administration has received a central grant of Rs 424.50 crores which is part of its annual grant. This apart, the health department here had also received additional assistance of Rs 3.80 crores, she added.
Attacking Narayanasamy, she said during these circumstances the Chief Minister tries to “masquerade” the facts. She rejected the criticism of the Chief Minister on the free rice scheme meant for the BPL families by the Centre, in the context of COVID 19 situation. She felt that the Chief Minister should work in unison during the present crisis instead of indulging in politics, the Lt. Governor said.
