Govt not concerned with Pondy's development: CPI MLA

Puducherry, Sep 16(UNI) CPI National Council Member R Viswanathan, MLA, today charged the present government with not being concerned with the development of Puducherry.

Addressing the press here, Mr Viswanathan said if the Chief Minister was really concerned about development of the Union Territory, he should have attended the Finance Ministers' conference taking place in New Delhi today in the backdrop of his statement that the UT required Rs 1,200 crore immediately.

He did not even send the fund requirements to New Delhi, Mr Viswanathan claimed.

The Former Chief Minister and the present ministers had proudly announced that they had obtained Rs 3,333 crore as Annual Budget for 2008-09 of which Rs 1,250 crore was under plan heads.

At the time, two CPI legislators had pointed out on the Floor of the Assembly that the calculation was wrong.

The ministers countered stating that the financial position was sound. Now, the Chief Minister was giving contradictory statements that Puducherry required Rs 354 crore and increasing it later to Rs 1,200 crore.

If the Chief Minister succeeded in getting Rs 1,200 crore from the Centre, he would be the first to congratulate him.

Stating the Congress Government should shoulder the responsibility for the financial crisis here, Mr Viswanathan said at the time of opening a public account with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Puducherry had loans to the tune of Rs 1,800 crore with the Centre. The CPI demanded the administration to get the loan waived and in that case, Puducherry would in very good financial position.

He also wanted the government to make public any loan availed from outside agencies using the public account.

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