Will step down after two years, Kiran Bedi says amid Pondy power struggle

Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi announced that she would relinquish office on May 29, 2018, when she completes two years in the union territory.
Kiran Bedi (Pic: ENS).
Kiran Bedi (Pic: ENS).

PUDUCHERRY: In the midst of a simmering power struggle with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi announced that she would relinquish office on May 29, 2018, when she completes two years in the union territory.

“I have given myself a tenure here,” said Bedi in her first “open letter to fellow Puducherrians”, adding that she has already informed the seniors about the decision.

But for this surprise declaration, the first open letter – there would be one a month from hereafter, she has promised – reads like a statement of facts and purpose. That, however, is only half the story in the drama unfolding at the little UT. For the rest, one needs to listen to the little birdies on her social media account.

The latest flash point was Narayanasamy asking officials not to be part of the WhatsApp groups that she had formed citing security concerns. Bedi hit back by nullifying the order. While the chief minister remained silent since then, Bedi, the former top cop, did not stop there.

“A well-knit officers network painstakingly nurtured disbanded in violation of GOI social network policy,” she complained from her personal twitter account, attaching the video of a byte given to TV media. This was duly retweeted by her official account. It was only one among a series of tweets she sent out, protesting the ‘gagging’.

As Express had reported on Saturday, some of the key welfare schemes are pending with her, which has irked the territorial government. “Am in Puducherry to ensure financial prudence. Public money will be spent where most needed. Every bit will b open for scrutiny (SIC),” she tweeted, apparently in response to the pain points. For those who were unaware of the background, Bedi herself highlighted this clipping in the next tweet, with the comment “some more”.

In her letter, she then reminded that while the elected territorial assembly has the powers to legislate, “On several other matters, final powers in areas of finance or service matters, or policy matters as per the Law the final responsibility rests with me… I have exercised financial prudence and not allowed any diversion of funds.”

A war between Narayanasamy and Bedi was expected since the day she took charge – May 29, 2015. But except sporadic instances, there has not been an all-out squabble as was seen in Delhi. But that may be a thing of the past going by the tweets that came from Bedi since January 4 when she nullified the CM’s order against WhatsApp groups.

Prosperous Puducherry WhatsApp groups+of key officers were networking,sharing achievements & redressing public complaints immed. Why gag it?

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