NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, APRIL 16
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Thursday flayed Lt Governor Kiran Bedi for “constantly scuttling” the implementation of free rice scheme by taking a stand different from that of his government’s resolve on the modus of execution during the lockdown.
#புதுச்சேரி | பேரிடர் காலத்திலும் துணைநிலை ஆளுநர் கிரண்பேடி அரசுடன் இணக்கமாக செயல்படாமல் இடையூறு செய்வதாகவும், வீட்டில் முடங்கியுள்ள மக்களுக்கு பிரதமர் நரேந்திரமோடி கூறியும் கூட இலவச #அரிசி வழங்க ஆளுநர் கிரண்பேடி தடையாக உள்ளார். pic.twitter.com/XIBLfJ8dGi
— V.Narayanasamy (@VNarayanasami) April 16, 2020
Talking to reporters here, the Chief Minister said the territorial government resolved that BPL families holding red colour ration cards should be supplied 5 kg rice during the current lockdown as per the announcement of the Prime Minister. However, the Lt Governor insisted that only cash which is equivalent to quantum of rice should be paid to the BPL families.
“How can a Lt Governor differ from the Prime Miniter’s directive applicable for the country as a whole?” he asked. Narayanasamy said, subsequently, Bedi made a u-turn and approved the supply of rice to red colour ration cardholders. But, she directed the officers to transport the rice in buses owned by the State Road Transport Corporation.
“If this system of moving rice is accepted, there would be delay in its supply to the card holders as larger consignment could be possible if bigger trucks were used,” he said.
Narayanasamy said in the meantime there was a demand from all the leaders and legislators that all APL families holding yellow colour ration cards should also be supplied rice without any discrimination.
When a file in this connection was sent to Lt Governor by Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, she took a stand that only cash should be distributed instead of rice to the APL families. The CM said he had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of the “negative stand” the Lt Governor was constantly taking interrupting the implementation of the scheme.
Referring to Bedi’s allegation that he was lying and indulged in misinformation on the rice scheme issue, he said, “This is quite amusing and we do not budge from our stand that only rice should be distributed to all categories and that there should be no payment of cash.”
“We have sent the file again to the Lt Governor making out our case that only rice should be distributed to the APL families. We are waiting for her reply. Let us see what would emerge,” he said.
Earlier, Narayanasamy held talks with Welfare Minister Kandasamy and Congress MLAs Anandaraman and T Jayamoorthy, who staged a sit in protest at Raj Nivas insisting that Bedi concede the decision of the government to supply rice to the card holders of APL category.
Besides, three legislators belonging to AIADMK along with those from the AINRC and BJP staged a dharna on the precincts of the territorial assembly seeking undelayed implementation of the rice scheme to benefit the APL families.
The protesters called off their agitation after the Chief Minister assured to take steps to ensure that the rice was distributed to APL category families.
Meanwhile, Bedi said in a whatsapp message that she had given in-principle approval to distribute rice to APL families holding yellow colour ration cards, excluding government staff and those paying income tax. Each of these families would get 10 kgs of rice for each of the three months, considering the threat posed by COVID- 19.
She also clarified that it was only a conditional approval as the Department of Civil Supplies should get sanction from the Union Home Ministry to relax its earlier condition that the territorial government should adopt DBT system to operate free rice scheme.
Noting that the Civil Supplies department had not made funds available to get the consent of the Food Corporation of India to settle the bills for a deferred payment, she said, she had given conditional approval and asked the department to earmark financial provision in the ensuring budget.
The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be the same as is adopted for the BPL categories of families in distribution of rice, she added.
Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had on Sunday said that he brought to the notice of the PM “unnecessary intervention” by Bedi in the implementation of his government’s rice scheme for the APL families during the lockdown here.
Reacting to the allegations, Bedi termed as “lie and misrepresentation” Narayanasamy’s briefing to Narendra Modi that she had been hindering the implementation of the scheme for APL (above poverty line) families in the Union territory.
