Puducherry CM N Rangasamy seeks funds from Centre for welfare projects

Puducherry, Aug 06: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Friday sought funds from the Centre to implement developmental and social welfare projects in the Union Territory.

A statement from the office of the Chief Minister said Rangasamy, participating in a video conference with the NITI Aayog today, demanded the Centre to restore the ratio of allocation of funds 90:10 (90 to Centre, 10 to Puducherry) as was the case before 2016 in the place of the present ratio of 60:40.

Rangasamy, who holds the Finance portfolio also, said the Centre should include the Union Territory of Puducherry in the Central Finance Commission.

"At present, Puducherry is accommodated neither in the Central Finance Commission nor in the Finance Commission relating to Union Territories," he said.

The statement said Rangasamy brought to the notice of NITI Aayog the sharp fall in revenue of the Puducherry government in the wake of implementation of the goods and services tax (GST).

He wanted the Centre to sanction compensation for loss arising due to enforcement of the GST here. Also, the Chief Minister asked for funds to acquire land for expansion of the Puducherry airport to promote tourism and urged the Centre to ensure shipping services linking Puducherry and Karaikal with Chennai be introduced to promote trade and commerce.

Retired police personnel in Puducherry should be paid pension in line with the policy now adopted in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the statement said. On Thursday, Puducherry Home Minister A Namassivayam presented a detailed memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a meeting in Delhi in this connection.

In a press release, Namassivayam said he had requested the Union Home Minister to sanction approval of grants the territorial government had asked for its budget for the fiscal 2021-2022.

Grants were sought for re-opening the now-defunct cooperative sugar mill in neighbouring Lingareddipalayam. The Minister requested the Central government to accord approval to the territorial government to bring in a Private University Bill and a Higher Education Council.

Namassivayam said he sought permission to sell the land belonging to the government-owned AFT mill at Pattanur a Tamil Nadu village bordering Puducherry.