Officials caught in a tussle over Thane relief

PUDUCHERRY: The predicament of the officials involved in the Cyclone Thane relief is quite serious as they lie sandwiched between  “threats” by the ruling and opposition parties over allegations of discrimination in disbursing relief funds.Union Minister of state for PMO V Narayanasamy recently said that there was gross discrimination shown by some officials favouring the ruling party and warned them with an investigation, and if found guilty of wrong-doing, could “even lead to serving a jail term”.Close on his heels, AINRC general secretary V Bhalan on Monday, joined the issue by raising counter allegations claiming that some of the officials had acted in a rather biased manner by selecting a considerable number of Congress workers as beneficiaries in the distribution process in places like Nettapakkam, Lawspet and Orleanpet. He went on to add that some houses, which had submitted four ration cards, were among the beneficiaries.Addressing reporters, Bhalan said the AINRC would bring this to the notice of Chief Minister N Rangasamy and would urge him to conduct a probe into the issue.Slamming Narayanasamy, the AINRC general secretary said the Union Minister was visiting Puducherry every other Sunday and was threatening the officials in his press conferences, which sends out wrong signals about the ruling party and the UT government.He said it was unbecoming of a Union Minister and reiterated that in his position he should have helped the UT government to press the Centre for getting more funds for the developmental activities.Terming the Union minister’s comments as tantamount to threatening the people and the elected government by them, Bhalan wondered how Narayansamy could issue such comments and get away with it.  He said as a result of the Union Minster’s threats, the officials were hesitant and sections, like those of the  fishermen, were yet to be granted any relief.The AINRC general secretary said his party would take up the issue with the Centre at an appropriate time with the recordings of his speeches in which he threatened the officials.He went on to the extent of saying that the Union Minister should think about the affairs of his party and queried what right has he got to make comments about other parties.