Bedi refutes flouting of COVID norms

As per the reports, the Lt Governor had violated the guidelines and she welcomed the Minister even after a staff of the Raj Nivas tested positive for the virus and hospitalised.

In a WhatsApp post, Bedi said that the allegations are a daily feature of false repetitions, misinformation and lies concerning the functioning of the Lt Governor’s office.

She said that the Raj Nivas was fully sanitised for the visit of the Minister and he came to a safe, clean and functioning office which was observing COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.

On the issue of financial and policy making powers, she said that this has been clarified repeatedly and added that the Lt Governor of Puducherry is exercising financial, administrative and other powers as delegated by the President of India and also as laid down in the Union Territory Act of Parliament, business rules and general financial rules governing financial and administrative responsibilities, besides the policy instructions of the Government of India time to time, as Puducherry being a Union territory.

These laws, rules and responsibilities have been upheld repeatedly by Judicial pronouncements by the Supreme Court and Madras High Court, Bedi added.