NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, JULY 21
Hitting out at Lt Governor Kiran Bedi for not delivering her customary address to the Assembly on Monday, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Tuesday said she had abstained on ‘untenable grounds’.
The Chief Minister, accused by Bedi of having presented the budget ‘without’ her approval, said the financial exercise was done in ‘consonance’ with relevant provisions governing the Union Territory.
#Budget for the year 2020-2021 presented at the Legislative Assembly, #Puducherry it was clarified that the budget has been presented abiding to the rules and norms of the law. Only the Legislative Assembly holds the authority to make changes in these norms. pic.twitter.com/xkPTJSRfOX
— V.Narayanasamy (@VNarayanasami) July 21, 2020
Under section 27 of the Union Territories Act, 1963, only the Finance Minister, Narayanasamy in this case, had the powers to present the budget and the approval of the Lt Governor is needed only for the date of presenting her inaugural address, he said, adding, this was scrupulously followed.
The Chief Minister said he had contacted Union Finance and Home Ministers and also officials in the said departments for the budget proposals which had since been fixed at Rs 9,000 crore.
The ‘approval’ of the Centre to the budget proposals of the Puducherry government was communicated to the territorial government on July 16.
Lashing out at Bedi on Tuesday, the CM said never in the past, particularly during the last four years since Bedi assumed office, had the budget been sent for her perusal.
‘She had abstained from addressing the House on untenable grounds’, he charged.
In yet another episode in their turf war, Bedi had accused Narayanasamy of presenting the budget ‘without’ her approval on Monday, claiming it was ‘illegal and irregular.’ She had also desisted from delivering the customary Governor’s address to mark the start of a session, with the budget presentation also scheduled for the same day, i.e on Monday.
‘I do not have the budget file approved by the President from the chief minister…if there is delay in enforcing the budget it is the Chief Minister, who is totally responsible.
What the Chief Minister is doing is totally illegal and irregular,’ the former IPS officer had said.
On Tuesday, Narayanasamy told reporters his government had initiated several steps to get the budget passed way back in April this year with a proposed outlay of Rs 9,500 crore.
But Bedi wanted to hold a meeting of the State Planning Board to finalise the size of the budget.
Questioning this, Narayanasamy said while the Planning Commission has been dismantled, there could be no Planning Board at the State level. However the file was sent to the Centre by Lt Governor on May 13.
Later, the state cabinet got the nod of the Lt Governor ‘to address the House on July 20’ and it had also been decided the budget will be presented by the CM the same day.
‘The Lt Governor approved the cabinet’s decision that she presents the address to the House on July 20’, he said.
This was the procedure envisaged in the relevant statute-obtaining approval of the Lt Governor for fixing the day of her address and presentation of the budget of the UT.
He said he felt sorry that Bedi abstained from addressing the House.
‘Only the cabinet and the legislators and none else’ had the statutory power to peruse the budget, suggest modification or addition of any provision, he said.
‘If such a facility was available, there was no need for an Assembly at all which could as well be dissolved and a single person could exercise the powers,’ he said.
The CM pointed out he had asked the Chief Secretary to send to her for approval, the file containing demands for grants to various departments in the budget and for adoption in the House.
This procedure for approval of the Lt Governor for passing demands for grants in the Assembly ‘was in keeping with the statutory provisions.’ He appealed to Bedi to function in coordination with the government, particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.
He also felt sorry on behalf of the Lt Governor for her alleged remarks against doctors involved in the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus.
‘I have expressed my regret on behalf of Kiran Bedi on the floor of the House earlier in the day for her alleged criticism of the medical personnel and rebuking a senior medical officer during her visit to the Health department recently,’ Narayanasamy said.
Earlier, Raj Nivas sources had denied the charge she had criticised the Health department and clarified that her inspection was to ensure that all arrangements were there to combat the pandemic.
