: Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Saturday maintained that the elected Ministry in Puducherry and the Lieutenant Governor shared cordial relations and that there was no difference of opinion between them.
Addressing reporters at the Legislative Assembly, he said that the constitutional provisions relating to the Union Territory of Puducherry and New Delhi were totally different.
Union Territories ActThe Union Territories Act, 1963, relating to Puducherry had provisions demarcating the constitutional obligations and duties of the elected Ministry and the Lt. Governor.
He said that there was no truth in the contention that the verdict of the Delhi High Court holding the Lt. Governor as the administrative head was equally applicable to Puducherry.
Mr. Narayanasamy said that the Government and the Congress party continued to urge the Centre to grant Special Category Status to the Union Territory since it would ensure 90 per cent of budgetary requirements as grants while the remaining 10 per cent would have to be mobilised by the UT.
Sponsored schemesThe Centrally-sponsored schemes operating in Puducherry should be fully funded by the Centre. There was a circular in this regard issued way back in 2014.
The Chief Minister said that there was no truth in the reports in a section of the media that had made critical comments against the government employees turning up late at work places.
Mr. Narayanasamy said that he was only keen that government employees should report for work on time.
“I have high regard for government employees and some misleading reports had appeared in a section of media intending to drive a wedge between me and the government employees,” he said.
GST ActMr. Narayanasamy said that he had made it clear to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during his visit to Delhi that no provision of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) should be a disadvantageous to Puducherry. Any serious impact on the fiscal condition should be fully compensated by the Centre, he said.
The Government has decided to fill all the existing vacancies ever since it came to power. It has taken up offer of appointments for the next of kin of deceased employees. There was also a move to request the Centre to set up a State Level Public Services Commission.
When asked about the recent developments in Pondicherry University, he said that he had asked the Chief Secretary Manoj Parida to go into the issue and submit a report.
UT budgetThe Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary would proceed to New Delhi as a follow up of his visit to finalise the budget for the UT. The budget would be tabled once it is finalised by the Centre, he added.
