Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Wednesday stated that maintenance of law and order, surveillance, intelligence and modernisation of the police force will be the focus of the Government in making Puducherry a ‘zero-crime’ Union Territory.
In her maiden address on the first day of the budget session of the Puducherry Assembly on Wednesday, Ms. Bedi said, “We can make Puducherry a zero-crime Union Territory through the ‘beat’ system, surveillance, intelligence and modernisation of the police force. This will give a sense of safety and security to citizens and tourists, thereby contributing to our dream of Prosperous Puducherry.”
Financial issues
“I hope that the newly elected popular Government would tackle the financial issues on priority by using various policy tools. In this scenario, it is vital to design suitable policies to maximise the efficiency of resource allocation through appropriate methodology, which comprises avoiding duplication in disbursement of benefits, rationalisation of welfare schemes and strict discipline in public expenditure.”
As against the revised estimate of Rs.6,250 crore (both plan and non-plan), the expenditure incurred during the 2015-16 was Rs.5,919 crore which works out to 95 per cent. Due to shortfall in revenue realisation, the cent per cent achievement could not be attained, she said.
Focus on Swacch Bharat
The government has proposed to focus on Swacch Bharat to ensure that Puducherry becomes the first Open Defecation Free (ODF) State or Union Territory in the entire country.
“We need to construct household toilets, public toilets and spread awareness among people, she said adding that the government will also streamline garbage collection, cleaning of tanks, drains and sewage in a mission mode to clean and provide an image makeover to the UT,” she said.
The Government will give more thrust for effective implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission to achieve the twin objectives of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and efficient Solid Waste Management through participatory approach involving people at the grass root level. It has embarked on a mission to achieve ODF status in the UT before October 2, 2017, Ms. Bedi said.
Considering skill development as one of the important priority areas, the government will establish skill development centres in all technical and higher institutions.
Placement cell
A permanent placement cell would be set up in the Employment Exchange for integration of all stakeholders including trainees and industrial units by using the expertise of the sector skill councils in the National Skill Development Corporation.
The State Skill Development Mission and the Puducherry State Skill Development Society will also play an active and coordinated role in designing and implementing skill development programmes, she added.
Listing out major programmes and achievements under various sectors, Ms. Bedi said that the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) connecting all police stations with the State Crime Records Bureau and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) had been implemented at a cost of Rs.9.94 Crore.
Équipment for police
Work on modernisation of the police control room, vehicle tracking system, purchase of security equipments, traffic equipments including e-challan, communication equipments and CCTV in all police stations are under progress.
The government is fully committed for the development and empowerment of scheduled caste, backward classes, minorities, differently-abled and other weaker section of society, she said adding that all the additional resources would be tapped and put to use for betterment of the people in all the four regions of the Union Territory.
