'Honest utilisation of funds key for budget's success'

Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Wednesday said honest utilisation of funds would be the key to the success of the union territory's budget.

She said in a message to the media that success of the budget also "depends on how we raise and source the untapped resources and resources that are not collected still."

Reacting to the budget presented earlier in the day by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, the Lt Governor underlined the need for recovering the arrears of revenue lying locked up due to protracted litigation.

There should be a comprehensive collection of taxes whether they related to GST, excise duty and others, she added.

"The success of the budget also hinges on how we realise cable channel viewing fee properly which is grossly under-tapped," Bedi said.

The former IPS officer said, "money should be spent only on those in need and not for those who do not need it and it should be for essentials."

"Financial prudence lies in the hands of the Ministers in charge with alert bureaucracy," she added.

The Lt Governor pointed out that "Raj Nivas (office of Lt Governor) would continue to carry out its responsibilities with care and caution as per rules and financial management to ensure that the money are spent for what it is meant and not for what is not budgeted or without commensurate resources generated, examined and approved as per the laws and rules."

Bedi and the Chief Minister have been at loggerheads on various administrative issues ever since she assumed office in 2016.