Former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy has reiterated the Congress’s demand for Statehood for the Union Territory, its inclusion under the ambit of the Finance Commission’s norms and a waiver of a legacy loan to the tune of ₹8,000 crore.
In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, the former Chief Minister said the Prime Minister, during last year’s Assembly election campaign, had promised to make the Union Territory the BEST (Business, Education, Spiritual and Tourism) hub of the country.
However, during the current financial year, it did not even get 5% in additional grant. The previous Congress government had consulted the Madras School of Economics to determine the economic scenario of the Union Territory. As per the study conducted by the school, it was entitled to get a Central assistance of ₹3,000 crore every year, the senior Congress leader said.
The States were getting 41% as their share of revenue from the Centre, but the Union Territory was eligible for only 22%. Several development issues were pending for a long time. The Centre should find a mechanism for the revival of the closed textile mills and institutions under the cooperative sector, he added.
The Centre should also find ways to speed up fund allocation for Smart City projects, he said.
