Puducherry CM Suspends Dharna, Says Major Issues With L-G Resolved

Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy suspended his dharna outside the Raj Nivas after six days late on Monday night.

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi

(Photo Courtesy: Altered by The Quint)

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy suspended his dharna outside the Raj Nivas after six days, on late Monday night, following marathon talks with Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, reported ANI.

Calling off his protest temporarily, the chief minister said, Kiran Bedi discussed the issues which were raised in a letter dated 7 February 2019.

“We had a four and half hours meeting in which we were able to resolve certain major issue of the people,” he added.

Addressing the media, Narayanasamy said, certain issues like free rice, additional old age pension for 10,000 people, increase in age limit in recruitment of police constables, sugar mills to be auctioned in public, among others were resolved.

The L-G also agreed for devolution of financial powers, he said, adding that the powers will be given to the chief minister and ministers from 1 April this year.

‘L-G’s Actions Detrimental for Good Governance’

Earlier in the day, Congress alleged that the L-G's actions were detrimental for good governance in the Union Territory and asked the Centre to intervene in the matter, according to PTI.

Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mukul Wasnik and Anand Sharma had written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, bringing to his notice the alleged "acts of ommissions and commissions" of the Lt Governor in Puducherry.

Narayansamy has been holding a dharna outside the LG’s residence in Puducherry since 13 February to protest what he called the “negative attitude of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi” in approving 39 proposals of the government.

The Congress leaders asked Singh to intervene in the matter, alleging that Bedi's actions were becoming detrimental to the peace, progress and good governance of Puducherry.

The Congress leaders also attached Chief Minister Narayanasamy's letter to Bedi, in which he has aired his grievances against her alleged interference in governance.

Bedi had, in a letter to the chief minister on Sunday, pointed out that she had cut short her public engagements in Delhi and returned to the Union Territory to hold a meeting with him to avoid inconvenience to the people of Puducherry "due to your politically motivated agitations".

The chief minister on Monday denied her allegation that the agitation was "politically motivated" and said the aim is to ensure that the people's demands were met.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)