Puducherry CM walks out from Planning Board meeting over exclusion of Oppn leaders

Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and his colleagues on Saturday walked out of an annual meeting of the state planning board that was convened here.

The meeting was convened to decide the annual budget of the union territory which, is to be recommended to the central government in the legislative assembly.

The meeting was, however, abruptly disrupted after the cabinet led by the Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayansamy questioned the absence of certain special invitees who had recommended and wanted to be present.

Chief Minister on Saturday had sent a file to the Lieutenant Governor(LG) of the union territory, Kiran Bedi in which he had recommended the presence of certain special invitees in the meeting.

"Using this (absence of special invitees) as a reason, The HCM walked out of the meeting with his colleagues, belittling the Board, stating the Board was merely an advisory body and not necessary to even reconvene to discuss budget matters," read an official statement from LG office.

The meeting is now rescheduled for July 13.

Bedi said in a statement, " However, I am not quite sure of the real reasons of HCM in walking out today, while undermining the importance of the State Planning Board, knowing fully well that Puducherry is working on a Vote of Account."

Saturday's development came in the the backdrop of constant power tussle between the LG and the Chief Minister Narayanasamy. Both Bedi and Narayanasamy have locked horns over administrative issues since the former top cop took office in 2016, with the Congressman even staging a sit-in outside Raj Niwas in protest over the Lieutenant Governor's decisions.