Centre "Sensitive" Towards Puduchery: Kiran Bedi On Chief Minister's Plea

Snapping back at Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy for asking the centre to declare the Union Territory as "transgender as the government treats it as per its convenience", Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Friday said that the central government is "fully sensitive" to the needs of its UT.

Speaking to ANI over the phone on the same, Ms Bedi said, "It is because of the centre's clear, measurable and calibrated and monitored guidance and hand-holding that the Puducherry administration is being able to provide critical services to its people."

Asserting that the government is "fully sensitive" to the needs of its UT and constantly oversees it to ensure it serves comprehensively, Ms Bedi said, "The onus on Puducherry administration also to plug all leakages and prioritise its expenditure to serve the real needy."

On Thursday, Mr Narayanasamy had said that Puducherry is facing problems because of its unique position of being a union territory with a legislature and urged the centre to find a solution soon.

"The government of India whenever it suits them treats us as per their convenience as a state or a union territory. We are neither here nor there. This is our position," he had said.

The Congress leader added that the problems being faced by the Puducherry administration are similar to those of Delhi.

Explaining the problems with the unique position of the state, Mr Narayanasamy had said, "Like in the case of GST, we are treated as a state and they take our money. But when it comes to the question of implementation of various schemes they treat us as a union territory."