Narendra Modi neglecting Puducherry, says Narayanasamy

Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of neglecting the Union Territory.Talking to newspersons here, the Chief Minister said that though he had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister listing the grievances of the state and to complain about the style of functioning of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi several months ago, there was no word from him.

 “This clearly indicates that the Prime Minister is neglecting Puducherry. I will go to the Parliament when the session is on and meet Mr Modi,” said Mr Narayanasamy. Reiterating his stand on the issue of Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit for holding a meeting with government officials in Coimbatore, the Chief Minister said there was no intervention from the Governors in administration in any states. 

“Now the Tamil Nadu governor is conducting review meetings along with officials,  clearly an act of forsaking the rights of the state,” said Mr Narayanaswamy. Instead of condemning the action of the Governor and the Centre for using governors and Lt Governors to interfere in governance in Opposition-ruled states, the Tamil Nadu  ministers are supporting it, said the former Union Minister.  Narayanasamy had earlier also criticised the act of Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit saying that it was an act of “interference in the state's rights”.

Nominated MLAs: Not under my jurisdiction, says Chief secretary

"The issue of nominated MLAs not in my jurisdiction," said Ashwani Kumar, Chief Secretary. The issue of the three nominated members , including allotment of facilities to them in the territorial assembly, does not come under his jurisdiction. In an informal chat with mediapersons here, Ashwani Kumar said that nominated members had submitted a memorandum seeking his intervention in facilitating their rights as MLAs. "The Union home ministry has already sent notification and the Speaker has made his stance clear. 

I can do little in this case. It clearly does not come under the jurisdiction of the Chief Secretary," said Mr Kumar. V. Saminathan, K.G. Shankar and S. Selvaganabathy of the BJP who were nominated as MLAs by the Centre met the Chief Secretary after Speaker V. Vaithilingam issued an order making their appointment "void" citing legal and procedural details.