Not the CM’s men

The Chief Minister’s detractors claim that all developmental activities and employment opportunities have been extended only to those from the former’s constituency, Thattanchavady.

In one of earliest direct confrontations between the ministers and the Chief Minister, one of the leaders of the rival camp and present Minister of State V Narayanasamy shot off a letter to the Chief Secretary demanding to know the exact number of jobs provided to people in Thattanchavady, from where Rangasamy was elected for the fourth successive term in 2006.

Incidentally, in the last Assembly polls, Rangasamy won a mammoth 90.23 per cent of all valid votes in Thattanchavady. His rival from AIADMK got a meagre 6.76 per cent and came second.

The Congress offered Narayanasamy a Central Minister post when the situation became ugly, bringing about a certain lull to the factional feud. However, things worsened again when three of its ministers in the Union Territory addressed a press conference and said the law and order situation in Puducherry had deteriorated. This was regarded as a direct shot at the Chief Minister who also handles the Home Department.

When the ‘rumour’ about the demand for Rangasamy’s ouster spread in Puducherry the last time, it led to rioting on the streets, forcing the Chief Minister to openly declare that he was here to continue.

Sources said that initiatives to replace him were now on in Delhi, though in a covert manner. The five ministers and a few MLAs have reportedly handed over a letter seeking the same.

Apart from Narayanasamy, one more Central Minister is also supporting the demand to oust Rangasamy, said sources, claiming that a decision has already been made.

The infighting in the Cabinet has affected the implementation of a number of welfare schemes in the Union Territory, including housing for those affected in the tsunami, housing assistance scheme for slum dwellers, 10-kg free rice programme for the poor, educational support and free TV distribution, and has also threatened public safety many times when the supporters of rival factions fought it out on the streets.

The Cabinet hasn’t convened any meeting since March this year. Even the DMK, which supports the Government from outside, is peeved at the “style of functioning” of this Government.

“The UT is in a serious financial crisis due to the mismanagement. A lion’s share of the total budget is planned as loan component. But the file dealing with revalidation of a Hudco loan is pending for months just because the Cabinet cannot be convened,” said a DMK leader.

DMK’s local unit has approached its central command in Chennai, asking them to intervene in the matter. “After all, their infighting is also affecting our party’s image,” said a party leader.

According to sources, of the total budget estimate of Rs 3,333 crore, only about Rs 700 crore was to be raised as tax and grant, while over Rs 1,150 crore was to be funded by various agencies like Hudco and Nabard.

Mismanagement has also resulted in stopping of construction of a medical college at Rangasamy’s constituency, but only after spending over Rs 90 crore on the basic infrastructure.

Criticisms against the failure of the Government to protect the interests of the students have grown louder after Monday when the counselling for medical courses began in the UT. Though obliged to surrender 50 per cent of the seats to the Government, the seven private medical colleges here refused to do so, and provided only 233 seats as opposed to 311 seats provided under the Government quota last year.

“As the ministers are completely against anything that the Chief Minister suggests, the Cabinet does not discuss anything. Most damning allegations are made by the Cabinet colleagues, be it on the deteriorating law and order situation or the demand for probe into employment dole for those in the CM’s constituency,” opined MLA A Anbazhagan of the AIADMK.

“The Government here is just for namesake. Due to the acrimonious infighting among the ministers, not even the regular works are being undertaken these days,” said Anandarajan, general secretary, Confederation of Puducherry State Government Employees Association.

The Chief Minister, however, refused to admit that there was a crisis, pointing out that the problem was at the bureaucratic level and was being corrected.

“There was a problem with the Chief Secretary. There were also some political problems. But all of them were in the past, we are moving forward and the administration is functioning well,” Rangasamy told The Indian Express.