Chief Minister N.Rangasamy on Thursday presented a tax free budget of Rs.6,100 crore for the 2014-15 financial year. Presenting the proposals for 2014-15, Mr. Rangasamy said the Plan assistance under Centrally Sponsored Schemes will be classified as Central Assistance to State Plan. It has been decided to transfer all the Central Assistance through Consolidated Fund of Union Territory in a phased manner from this year onwards.
Allocating Rs.177.05 crore to Department of Women and Child Development, Mr. Rangasamy said Nirbhaya Centres would be set up in Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam Regions with financial assistance of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.
“These centres will work for women victims of physical, mental and domestic violence by providing them medical and police assistance, psycho-social support, counselling, legal aid and temporary shelter with video conferencing facility,” said Mr. Rangasamy.
Listing out steps to improve the infrastructure in the Union Territory, he said the Union government has sanctioned a number of new projects which are proposed to be initiated this year and which will have a completion cycle of 2-3 years. He listed out works such as water supply projects for the urban areas of Puducherry at an estimated cost of Rs.307.50 crore and for Karaikal at an estimated cost of Rs.161.50 crore.
He also pointed out that the construction of two grade separators at Indira Gandhi Square and Rajiv
Gandhi Square Junctions in order to ease the traffic at an estimated cost of Rs.70 crore and Rs.50 crore respectively. He also proposed to construct a bridge at Ariyapalayam at an estimated cost of Rs.38 crore.
Fulfilling long pending demands of government employees, Mr. Rangasamy said necessary steps have been taken to regularise the services of ad-hoc employees serving in various capabilities under the cadre control of Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms(DP&AR). Direct recruitment/ Limited Departmental Competitive Examination for the post of Upper Division Clerk as well as various departmental tests will be conducted soon. Also, the vacancies under promotion quota in various posts will be filled up shortly. Steps will be taken to publish the seniority lists of all cadres. Rotational transfers in the ministerial cadre will be effected.
“DP&AR will co-ordinate with other departments to fill up around 2,000 Group ‘C’ vacancies before the end of the current financial year, through either promotion or direct recruitment,” said Mr. Rangasamy. He also announced that the income ceiling limit for Economically Weaker Section families has been increased from Rs.24,000 to Rs.75,000 per annum for availing benefits under various welfare oriented. Stating that stray dog menace has become a cause of concern, Mr. Rangasamy said in order to safeguard the interests of public it is proposed to implement Animal Birth Control (ABC) and administer Anti-Rabies Vaccines to over 32,000 stray dogs as per the guidelines of Animal Welfare Board (AWB) and it will be implemented through NGOs recognised by the AWB at a cost of Rs.1 crore. He also proposed to construct a modern slaughterhouse either in the limits of Oulgaret Municipality or Villianur Commune panchayat at a cost of over Rs.10 crore.
Announcing the distribution of two kg free sugar to all the card holders for Deepavali, he also proposed to distribute one kg of raw rice and sugar, half kg of jaggery, tur dhal, gram dhal, urad dhal to all card holders at free of cost in all four regions.
