Admn will strive to get statehood for UT: CM

Puducherry, Apr 17 (UNI) The Puducherry administration will strive to get statehood for the Union Territory, Chief Minsiter N Rangasamy told the Legislative Assembly today.

Winding up the four-day discussion on demand for grants for various departrments, he said statehood was necessary to get more powers for Puducherry to implement the developmental schemes as per the desire of the administration.

A delegation of legislators would reach New Delhi soon to press the Centre to accord statehood for the UT, he added.

Intervening Mr Rangasamy, K Lakshminarayanan (PMC) asked whether the government was for special category state or statehood.

Mr Rangasamy said the Centre had already ruled out the possibility of granting special cateogry state status for Puducherry following which only the demand for statehood was putforth.

Replying to Mr Lakshminarayanan's remark that the administration should be cautious on the financial implications, the Chief Minister said it was currently implementing schemes by obtaining loans.

The administration had earned an additional revenue of Rs 85 crore by way of levying additional excise duty and steps were being taken to recover the tax arrears, he added.

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