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We will get special status for Puducherry, says Jayalalithaa

PUDUCHERRY: If the AIADMK- led front in Tamil Nadu gets a chance to influence the next government at the Centre after elections, the party will strive to get Special Category Status for the Union Territory, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has said.

The AIADMK will prevail upon the Central Government to accord Special Category Status for Puducherry so that local government need not wait for administrative sanction from Delhi for implementing schemes and in taking decisions, Ms. Jayalalithaa said at a campaign meeting held here on Thursday. She was seeking support for Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) candidate M. Ramadass.

Though Union Territory has immense potential to become a developed State, it had not been tapped by the successive Congress governments as they lacked proper vision and planning. The territory had the potential to become another Singapore or Hongkong, it remained to be an under developed region owing to bad governance, she said.

Lack of cohesive administration and mutual bickering within the Congress party have put the region on the back foot. There were instances in the past when ministers used to write to the Chief Minister appealing him to convene Cabinet meeting and spent all time camping in Delhi to remove the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa said.

Delving into the problems that confront the territory, she said there were more than 12,000 people working in the textile mills in the past. Because of mismanagement and lack of vision, the number of staff had come down to around 4,000 and the textile mills were on the verge of closure. The agriculture sector has suffered badly due to conversion of farm lands for real estate business.

On the law and order front, even Congress members have complained about the lawlessness that prevailed in the territory, she said.

Flaying the Congress government for stopping welfare schemes such as free distribution of 10 kg rice and assistance to fishermen during ban on trawling period, she said the schemes were stopped at the instance of Union Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs and Congress candidate V. Narayanasamy.

Stating that she always had “regard” and “respect” for the territory, Ms. Jayalalithaa said they would get funds from Centre to tide over the financial crisis and construct the government medical college and bring rail connectivity between Tindivanam – Puducherry- Cuddalore.

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