Kiran Bedi rejects govt plan for casinos,lotteries & breweries

Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday rejected the territorial government's proposal to open casinos, lotteries and breweries to earn more revenue, saying "they are considered against the spiritual ethos and social fabric of Puducherry".

Bedi, in a WhatsApp message, said Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had sent her the files containing these "three polluting needs-casinos, lotteries and breweries", for her approval.

These proposals were not agreed to as they were considered "against the spiritual ethos and social fabric of Puducherry", she said. Bedi also said that the people of Puducherry in general and a few elected representatives in particular were also against the three plans. The Chief Minister had yesterday said his government planned to start them as they were starved of funds to run the government and even to pay salaries to employees in certain sectors.

He had also expressed displeasure at her objection to the move for opening casinos. The Lt Governor had on Friday asked the Chief Minister to explain if the proposed opening of casinos could be termed as development.

On Narayanasamy's contention that she had no right to raise objections to the plan to have casinos, Bedi said the fact that files were being sent to her office for approval meant it required the approval of the Administrator on such policy changes, with Puducherry being a Union Territory.

"Or else you could have gone ahead on your own in view of your unilateral and unconsidered announcements from your recent Singapore visit, claimed by you to be a private trip," she said.

Bedi and Narayansamy have for long been at loggerheads over various administrative and fiscal issues ever since she assumed office in 2016. In her new year message, she wished the Chief Minister a "healthy and value based year 2020".

Bedi said she looked forward to supporting him for "progressive policies which make people self-reliant with a vibrant local self government." She also wished the people of the union territotry "a prosperous Puducherry 2020`.