Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday gave an audience to Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and his council of Ministers for 15 minutes at the airport.
Before his departure to New Delhi from the airport, Mr. Modi met the Chief Minister and received a memorandum seeking assistance from the Centre.
Mr. Narayanasamy, in his memorandum, urged the Prime Minister to enhance non-Plan gap grant consequent on the implementation of 6th and 7th Pay Commission recommendations and increase in dearness allowance. He sought waiver of legacy loans, pending releases towards gap-grant, electricity tariff compensation, Thane cyclone relief for 2012-13 and rain relief for 2015-16.
The available budget estimate or revised estimate for the financial year 2017-18 alone would not be sufficient to meet even the minimum financial requirements of the Union Territory to take up development schemes. “As such, we seek additional resources of ₹6,262.70 crore from the Government of India,” the memorandum said.
Not covered by panel
The Congress government requested the Prime Minister to include the Union Territory in the ambit of the Central Finance Commission. Since Article 280 (3) of the Constitution refers only to the States, devolution of funds to Union Territory of Puducherry was not considered.
The Union Territory had sought a grant of ₹715.97 crore for settlement of statutory and non-statutory dues to the employees of textile mills and to modernise the Anglo French Textiles and Swadeshi Bharathi Textile Mills Ltd. The government had sought permission from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to dispose of Pattanur land owned by the Puducherry Textile Corporation.
Constitution of Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee was another issue which was highlighted in the memorandum.
Warm welcome
Mr. Modi was accorded a warm welcome at the Puducherry Airport. He was received by Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, Mr. Narayanasamy, former Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Ministers, MLAs belonging to the AINRC AIADMK, DMK and senior officials.
