Pondy CM asks Lt Guv Bedi not to be a party to political outfits raising issues to create problems to govt

Narayanasamy was replying to the letter he had received from Bedi on December 24 bringing to his notice the demand made by the opposition AIADMK to her to ban New Year eve celebrations on the beach road here.

The Chief Minister said the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), headed by him, had through a meeting on December 22 permitted the celebrations subject to basic safety norms highlighted by the Union Health and Home Ministries.

He said occurrence of COVID-19 had come down in the Union Territory.

There was no fatality during the last three days due to the virus. Test positivity rate was also less than one percent against the national average of 1.5 percent and three percent all over the globe, the chief minister said.

The recovery rate in Puducherry was 97.42 percent and fatality rate 1.66 percent.

"COVID 19 is now under control in Puducherry because of the steps taken by Ministers, legislators, health authorities and others including the Lt Governor.

In the circumstances, the Lt Governor has no independent right to make in a pre-determined manner an announcement banning celebrations of New Year eve on the beach road through social media," he said.

Narayanasamy said the Madras High court had also clarified in its verdict in 2018 that the Lt Governor had no independent authority to issue any order or directions.

"The job of the opposition parties here is to create issues and cause problems to the government.Lt Governor should not be a party to the political issues raised by them," he said.

`The order issued by the SDMA permitting the celebration of New Year on the beach road therefore holds good, he pointed out in his missive to the Lt Governor, copy of which was released to the media on Saturday.

He said he had very clearly informed the Lt Governor through his letter that she had no independent right to issue any orders and should refrain from interfering in the day-to-day administration.

Bedi had objected to the Congress government allowing the New Year celebrations here in view of the pandemic and urged Narayanasamy to ban them.

Bedi, in a letter to him, said as neighbouring Tamil Nadu has banned the celebrations in public places,the Union Territory would draw people from there and the good work done to contain the virus spread was likely to be at peril.

The matter brought to fore another instance of disagreement between the two, often at loggerheads over various matters, as the Chief Minister asserted the celebrations would go on with COVID-19 protocol