Ministerial delegation to meet PM and Sonia

Puducherry, Sep 18: Chief Minister V Vaithilingam and his cabinet colleagues left here for New Delhi. While all the ministers left for New Delhi on Wednesday, Sep 17, the Chief Minister left here on Thursday, Sep 18.

The ministerial delegation would call on AICC president Sonia Gandhi and apprise her of the financial and power crisis here and seek remedial measures to overcome it.

They would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram to seek additional funds as the Union Territory requires Rs 1,200 crore more to implement the existing welfare schemes.

The Chief Minister is expected to urge the Centre to waive off Puducherry's loan to the tune of Rs 2,400 crore.

All three independent legislators accompanied the ministerial delegation.

UNI