Puducherry CM to present interim budget in Assembly on Feb 2

Puducherry, Jan 31 (PTI) Puducherry Chief Minister VVaithilingam will present interim budget of the UnionTerritory for the fiscal 2011-2012 on the floor of the Houseon February 2 after of the customary address by Lt GovernorIqbal Singh.

The vote on account that would be tabled for adoptionwould earmark funds for the first few months for thegovernment in the fiscal, a release from the LegislativeAssembly Secretary M Sivaprakasam said today.

This is the first session of the Assembly after formerChief Minister N Rangasamy and P Angalane quit the posts ofthe MLAs from the House on January 20, bringing down thestrength of the ruling Congress from 13 to 11.

The Vaithilingam-led Congress government enjoys thesupport of seven DMK members and also the outside support ofthree Independents in the 30 member Assembly. On theopposition block the AIADMK has three members followed by PMK(two), CPI and MDMK (one each). There are three nominatedmembers with Congress, CPI and PMK having one each.

Puducherry is headed for the Assembly polls in the nextfew months as the present five year term of office of theministry comes to an end by May.

Union Minister of State for Planning V Narayanasamy hasin the meanwhile said in a release today that the Congress-DMKalliance was strong and this front would form the nextgovernment in the wake of the polls in Puducherry.