Supreme Court Issues Notice To Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy

New Delhi: In a new twist to the turf war in Puducherry, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and directed that any Cabinet decision involving financial implication or land transfer cannot be implemented till the next date of hearing.

A bench comprising Justices MR Shah and Indu Malhotra said that the Cabinet meeting set for June 7 in Puducherry could take a decision on these issues but they cannot be implemented.

The next date of hearing in the apex court is June 21. The court ordered the Chief Minister to be impleaded as a party and notice be sent to him.

On May 28, the top court agreed to hear a petition filed by Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi seeking clarity on the administrative control of the Union Territory.

In her plea, Bedi argued that government officers in Puducherry were caught in a bind after the apex court issued a notice on a Madras High Court order that curbed Bedi’s powers.

Bedi’s counsel Gagan Gupta contended in the petition: “Direct that status quo ante be maintained as regards administrative functioning in the Union Territory of Puducherry as it existed prior to passing of the impugned judgment of April 30 (Madras High Court order), during pendency of the present petition.”

Bedi and Narayanasamy have been at loggerheads on administrative issues ever since she assumed office in May 2016. In the wake of the standoff, Bedi moved the Madras High Court seeking clarity on control of bureaucrats in Puducherry. (IANS)

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