Pondy admn enhances sugarcane price

Puducherry, Nov 6 (UNI) The Puducherry administration has enhanced the sugarcane price by Rs 61 per tonne.

Announcing this at a press conference here last night, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said the cane price for the current crushing season was fixed at Rs 1,191 per tonne, an increase of Rs 61, as against the last year's price of Rs 1,130. This would incur an additional expenditure of Rs 2.40 crore to the exchequer and nearly 6,000 growers would be benefitted.

Mr Rangasamy also announced an additional price of two paise per litre of milk as Deepavali bonus to the cooperative milk producers union (PONTLE) here. Members of the 97 cooperative milk producers union would be benefitted and the exchequer would incur an additional expenditure of Rs 40 lakh.

The Union Territory needed more powers, Mr Rangasamy said adding he would continue to press the Centre in this regard.

Stating that thrust was being given for the development of tourism, health and education sectors, the Chief Minister said more entrepreneurs would be invited to Puducherry to start industrial units to generate employment opportunities. The administration propose to set up an IT park here.

He said the administration was taking steps to devolve powers to the elected representatives of the Local Bodies.

Replying to a question, he said he would enquire into the allegation that government orders were issued instructing the Primary Health Centres not to administer vaccine for dog bites to people hailing from Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister also declared a holiday for all educational institutions here on November nine, the day after Deepavali.

UNI