Bedi-UT govt spat: HC order upheld by Supreme Court

The apex court, on June 4, had directed that “any decision in the Cabinet meeting to be convened on July 7 having financial implication/implications or with respect to any transfer of the lands shall not be implemented”.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose did not allow the plea of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the issue of alleged tussle over power between Lt Governor and the chief minister was important and required a judicial decision in the light of the five-judge Constitution bench verdict in the Delhi-Centre power row matter. “We are not inclined to entertain this case. It would be open to the petitioner (Centre) to challenge the order of the single judge bench order (of the HC) in the division bench,” the bench said.

The top court had on June 4 directed the Puducherry government, led by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy who is at loggerheads with Bedi, not to implement any decision having financial implications, that may be taken at the Cabinet meeting on June 7.

The application filed by the Centre and Bedi had sought a direction for restoring the situation prevailing before the April 30 Madras High Court verdict which held that the LG “cannot interfere” in the day-to-day affairs of the elected government in the Union Territory.

Referring to the Supreme Court judgement on the tussle between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Anil Baijal, the High Court had said that restrictions imposed on Delhi government are not applicable to the Puducherry government. “The administrator cannot interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the government. The decision taken by the Council of Ministers and the Chief Minister is binding on secretaries and other officials,” it had said.