PMK stages walkout over renaming Pondy

Puducherry, Apr 28 (UNI) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) members supporting the government from outside today staged a walkout from the Territorial Assembly over the issue of renaming Pondicherry town as Puducherry.

Replying to a question, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said the admninistration had adopted an unanimous resolution in 1996 and based on it, the Union Government had renamed Pondicherry Union Territory as Puducherry Union Territory.

Since, Pondicherry was known all over the world and to attract tourism, the name of the town was retained as ''Pondicherry.'' Mr Anantharaman (PMK), who posed the question, wanted to know whether the government would come forward to name the town also as Puducherry.

With several members joining the issue, the House punged into noisy scenes. As there was no positive reply from the Chief Minister to rename the town as Puducherry again, PMK members Anantharaman and Panneerselvam staged a walk- out from the House.

The third member, Mr Arul Murugan, was not present in the House.

UNI PAB GM RSA HT1247 -