Pondicherry is passe, it is now Puducherry: Parliament

New Delhi, Aug 24 (UNI) Pondicherry passed into Parliamentary history today, facilitating the birth of Puducherry.

This happened when the Lok Sabha unanimously passed by a voice vote The Pondicherry (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2006, piloted by Minister of State for Home S Regupathy, after more than one-hour of discussion. The Bill had got through the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Besides Prof M Ramadass (PMK), the lone MP from the Union Territory, a large number of members from Tamil Nadu as well as other states took part in the debate.

Prof Ramadass and other MPs demanded that the UT be declared as a full-fledged state with special status, on the lines of Northeastern and hilly states, to ensure its proper development.

The UT MP said the change in name should be officially notified much before the one-year deadline and the names of AIR and DD stations be suitably changed forthwith. Tamil should be declared the official language by the UPA which had accorded classical status to it.

Similar sentiments were expressed by NSV Chittan (Cong), P Mohan (CPI-M), Ananth Kumar, Santosh Gangwar and Ganesh Singh (all BJP), Mr San (BJP), Mr A Krishnaswamy (DMK), Mr M Appadurai (CPI), Gingee N Ramachandran (MDMK), Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A) and Shailendra Kumar (SP).

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