Puducherry CM accuses NDA of misusing CBI

Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday charged the Centre with misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

During the UPA rule there was no interference in the independent working of the CBI, he claimed.

Narayanasamy, who was the Minister of State in PMO in the UPA government, told reporters here that "the integrity of CBI has come down now during the current NDA government." "I do not want to elaborate any further," he added.

He said his government did not accept Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's contention that Pongal gift hampers should be distributed only to families coming under below poverty line (BPL) category.

Narayanasamy said the government in Tamil Nadu was distributing the Pongal gift to all families and "we want to toe the same line without any discrimination between above poverty line and BPL families."

The chief minister, who has been at loggerheads with the Lt Governor on various issues, also objected to Bedi describing her office as the 'secretariat' although it is only the Lt Governor's office.

The Lt Governor "is only misusing her power and authority when she describes her office as the secretariat," he added.

He also hit out at Bedi for conducting 'tests' for staff of government departments in her office as was done recently for those in the Social Welfare Department. "Who has authorised her to conduct the tests. Is she a college professor or a school teacher to conduct tests," he asked.

Despite shortfall in grants from the centre, the Puducherry government had made recorded achievements in health, education and other sectors during 2018. He said in the year 2019 a "big change will take place and Puducherry's fiscal position would improve largely and all the present hurdles would disappear."