CM’s claim on OSD as SEC a figment of imagination: Bedi

Her comments came a day after the Chief Minister alleged at a press meet here that Bedi had a hidden agenda of appointing her OSD, G Theva Needhi Dhas, a retired IAS officer, as the SEC.

Bedi, in what she described was an ‘open letter’ to Narayanasamy, said the Chief Minister continued to misinform and mislead the people of Puducherry. “Your allegations are mere figments of your imagination,” she said.

Maintaining that the OSD was not separable to take up any other assignment as long as she was Lt Governor, she said Theva Needhi Dhas was indispensable to her office in view of his long and outstanding public service. She also stated that Dhas was providing her office ‘critical institutional memory’, which was so essential for her personally as she was coming from outside the region.

Bedi asked the Chief Minister to stop spreading such falsehood through the media and said her office needed the services of Dhas in view of his integrity, vast experience and capability. “Theva Needhi Dhas too is not interested in any such posts (SEC),” she said.

She pointed out that the matters of appointment of SEC and free rice scheme are sub-judice and the Madras High court was expected to pronounce its verdict any time. The issue of the SEC’s appointment had taken a new turn on Tuesday with the Local Administration Department issuing an advertisement for the post and the Minister concerned pleading ignorance about it.