Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy calls off dharna after meeting with Lt Governor Kiran Bedi

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Monday ended his sit-in in after a meeting with Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, saying "partial success" was achieved on various demands.

Mr Narayanasamy was staging a dharna (sit-in) in front of the assembly, which entered its sixth day on Monday, over various demands such as increasing assistance under old age and widow pension schemes.

The chief minister also said he and his cabinet colleagues also suspended other agitations, including jail bharo and the fast slated for February 20 and 21.

"We are suspending all the agitations slated for the next two days against Kiran Bedi as we could score partial success on various public issues at the meeting we had with her," Mr Narayanasamy said at a press conference after a over four-hour-long meeting with Ms Bedi at her office on Monday night.

He said after the talks with the Lt Governor he and his cabinet colleagues met at the committee room and it was decided "unanimously" by ministers and legislators that "the agitations including jail bharo and massive fast slated for February 20 and 21 are suspended".

Mr Narayanasamy also said the dharna outside the assembly was also called off immediately after the meeting.

He said the talks were held at the invitation of the Lt Governor on various issues listed by him in his letter sent to her on February 7.

"Most of the important issues, including payment of monthly assistance to 10,000 new applicants under old age and widow pension, and auctioning of the cooperative sugar mill to raise funds to pay farmers and workers were discussed, and the Lt Governor accorded her approval to these schemes," the chief minister said.

She also accepted the government's representation for posting of teachers on contract basis and appointment of nurses in government hospitals, Mr Narayanasamy said.

On other issues, the chief minister said, Ms Bedi told the ministers that she would consider their representations.

"We are satisfied partially with the outcome of the meeting and are suspending all the agitations and calling off the dharna," he said.

However, the chief minister said, the campaign for statehood would continue "without a break".

-PTI