Pondy mulls funding options for state varsity

Puducherry, Apr 2 (UNI) The administration was studying various options for procuring funds to set up a State University in the Union Territory, Education Minister M O H F Shajahan told the Legislative Assembly today.

Replying to a question, Mr Shajahan said Rs 300 crore and 50 acre of land would be required for the setting up the university.

The Planning Commission had advised setting up the university under Public Private Partcipation(PPP) or to go for a loan to meet the fund requirement.

He also said Dr V Natarajan was appointed as the consultant for setting up the university and had prepared a detailed report which would be placed before the Cabinet after which necessary steps would be taken.

To another question, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said in two to three years, there would be no house in the union territory without an LPG connection.

Under the free LPG connection scheme, so far 22,039 connections were given and funds allocated under the special component plan to give connections to the Dalits this year, he added.

Independent member NIT Narayanasamy, who posed the question, pointed out though 1,500 applications were given,only 197 connections had been provided in his Villianur Contituency while more than 1,500 connections had been given in other constituencies.

To this, Mr Rangasamy said the number of connections depended on the performances of the legislators concerned. This showed, Mr Narayansamy failed to do his duty as a legislator in his constituency.

UNI PAB GM RL HT1532