No lack of coordination with LG: Puducherry CM Narayanaswamy

Puducherry, July 27: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanaswamy today termed as "absolutely wrong" opposition AIADMK's allegation that there is lack of coordination between his government and Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi.

"There is a very good equation with the Lt Governor and we are working together towards the development of the state," the CM told PTI, adding that the Lt Governor is helping government in developmental activities of the state. "The Lt Governor knows her power. The union territory of Puducherry is different from Delhi.

We have the Land, Law and Order and Service areas under the Council of Ministers and the Governor acts according to the aid of the Council of Ministers," he said rejecting AIADMK's allegation that there is a 'virtual race' between the Lt Governor and the CM on who would be able to procure funds from the Centre.

V Narayanaswamy, who was sworn in as Chief Minister of Puducherry on June 6, was in Delhi to attend the empowered committee of state finance ministers meet to decide on the final design of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"I raised the issues of smaller states. Threshold-level should be kept at Rs 10 Lakhs so that smaller states would not be affected from mobilisation of revenue," he said adding that since Puducherry is not in the Central Finance Commission, our revenue should not be affected.

The CM demanded revenue neutrality and said "whatever the compensation to be paid to our state should be done in a periodic manner within a fixed timeframe and done in a transparent manner".

Narayanaswamy also requested the Centre to consider financing Puducherry on the same lines as they consider the North-Eastern states. He will also call on Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari tomorrow and press the ministry for commencing shipping services connecting Karaikal and Chennai via Puducherry.

PTI