Puducherry

Puducherry Assembly adopts resolution urging Centre to grant statehood

The territorial Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution unanimously urging the Centre to grant statehood to Puducherry after Chief Minister N Rangasamy made out a strong case for it. The resolution was first moved as private members resolution by the opposition DMK and an Independent member G Nehru seeking statehood for Puducherry 'to overcome several handicaps and hindrances the elected government was facing now as Puducherry was an Union Territory.' The Chief Minister, who rose to respond to the resolution, said "it (resolution) is converted into an official resolution." With all the members who spoke earlier extending support to the resolution for statehood, Speaker R Selvam announced it was treated as an official resolution and was adopted unanimously. All members, irrespective of their party affiliation and nominated and Independent members stood up and banged the desks showing their joy at the resolution being adopted unanimously and as an official resolution. Earlier, DMK

Privatisation of power sector in Pondy will not affect consumers: Minister

Puducherry Home and Electricity Minister A Namassivayam on Wednesday allayed the fears of the elected members and also members of public that the government's decision to privatise power sector would hit employees and consumers in the Union Territory. Replying to the views expressed by the members during the debate on demands for grants to his departments including Electricity in territorial Assembly, the Minister denied rumours that the privatisation of power sector would affect the employees, consumers and the farmers here. He also said that there was "unfounded rumour" that the assets of the Department of Electricity were worth Rs 20,000 crore and that they would all be transferred to the private players once privatisation materalised. "The value of the assets is only Rs 1,030 crore and after depreciation it would come to Rs 551 crore," Namassivayam said. "No immovable properties would be handed to the private players. The land belonging to the government now used by the Departme

Puducherry govt to spend Rs 500 cr on drinking water project soon: CM

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Friday said a comprehensive drinking water supply project would be launched in the Union Territory soon to ease the current woes faced by residents. Replying to a question by independent member G Nehru in the territorial Assembly during question hour, the Chief Minister said the government would also drill borewells in rural areas and bring water to urban localities to tackle the crisis. As much as Rs 500 crore would be spent to implement the comprehensive drinking water supply scheme in Puducherry, he added. Members across parties brought to the notice of the government the hardships faced by residents in getting safe and uninterrupted water supply. Nehru said there have been instances of people getting poor quality water, which caused skin diseases and even cancer. He appealed to the Chief Minister to initiate immediate steps to provide uninterrupted, clean and safe water to Puducherry's residents. PWD Minister K Lakshminarayanan said the

Govt to set up Siddha college-cum-hospital in Puducherry: CM Rangasamy

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Thursday said a Siddha college-cum-hospital would be established in the Union Territory soon. Replying to a question tabled by Independent MLA G Nehru in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the college-cum-hospital would come up at a cost of Rs 50 crore on a land covering an extent of five acres. Besides, Rangasamy said the government has drawn up plans to increase bed facilities and strengthen other infrastructure to meet the requirements of people thronging the outpatient department (OPD) wing in the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital here. The government had already proposed to procure medicines for which Rs 20 crore had been set aside, he further said. The casualty department in the general hospital would have an additional block to accommodate the growing number of incoming patients in the OPD wing. The Chief Minister added that a CT scanner and an MRI scanner would be purchased and installed in the hospital soon.

Puducherry declares school holiday from March 16 to 26 over H3N2 flu scare

The Puducherry government on Wednesday announced a holiday for all schools up to Class 8 from March 16 to March 26 in view of the spread of H3N2 influenza virus in the Union Territory. The order will be in force for schools in all the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam in the Union Territory in view of prevalence of the viral subtype of influenza, particularly among children. Speaking in the Assembly during zero hour, Home and Education Minister A Nammasivayam said in view of spread of the influenza particularly among children, the government decided to declare a holiday for all schools including privately-managed institutions and government-aided schools from primary class to Class 8. The UT health department had stated on March 11 that Puducherry reported 79 virus cases belonging to the viral H3N2 subtype till March 4. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister C Djeacoumar said the territorial administration has introduced a government order (GO) providing reservation for

Govt accords priority for jobs to youth in Puducherry: CM Rangasamy

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Tuesday said his administration accords priority to provide jobs to the youth in Puducherry. Wrapping up the debate on the motion of thanks to Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan's address presented to the House on March 9, he said, "No stone would be left unturned in providing jobs to the youth. We have already taken steps to provide education to the students and providing jobs to the educated youth is our next priority by developing industries." Thanking the Lt Governor for presenting her customary address in the House, which kickstarted the current budget session, Rangasamy said that the Union Territory was poised to register all round development "with the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also with the cooperation of the Lt Governor." Charging the previous government (headed by Congress) in Puducherry with having caused "several hiccups in administration and development of Puducherry", the Chief Minister said, "It is

Puducherry CM assures fair selection of candidates via tests for govt posts

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Tuesday assured the territorial assembly that there would be fair selection of candidates for postings in government departments through competitive examinations. He was responding to the apprehensions expressed by the ruling BJP legislator P M L Kalyanasundaram over rumours that there were other ways of selection for the posts of lower and upper division clerks (LDCs and UDCs). "This rumour has come to cause concern among the young aspirants who had applied for the examination," Kalyanasundaram said. The CM in his reply to the member's representation said, "selection examination through competitive tests for the posts of LDCs and UDCs would be fair and none should get hoodwinked." He further said his government has taken steps to fill all vacant posts in the government departments. Of the 10,000 vacant posts the government will post 6,000 posts through examinations and the remaining 4000 would be filled through promotions. Rangasamy also .

Puducherry CM N Rangasamy announces monthly LPG subsidy of Rs 300

The Puducherry government on Monday announced a Rs 300 monthly LPG subsidy for the people of the union territory, earmarking Rs 126 crore for the scheme. Chief Minister N Rangasamy made the announcement in the UT budget presented for the year 2023-24. Rangasamy, who detailed the achievements of various departments said the government had earmarked Rs 126 crore for implementing the scheme to provide the subsidy of Rs 300 for all families for one cylinder a month. He presented a Rs 11,600 crore tax free budget. The LPG subsidy initiative would benefit all families possessing family ration cards. The CM said the government would also hold a "World Tamil Conference" here with the participation of Tamil scholars from various countries. A national conference would also be conducted as a highlight of celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo "to propagate his thoughts, philosophy, research on yoga and literature." Further, the government would deposit Rs 50,000 under

Stalin urges DMK workers to strive to win all LS seats in TN, Puducherry

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Saturday exhorted the party workers to strive to win all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the lone constituency in neighbouring in Puducherry in the Parliamentary elections scheduled next year. Addressing a mammoth gathering here, where more than 4,000 people from various political parties including the AIADMK and DMDK joined the ruling DMK, Stalin reminded that the Secular Democratic Alliance (SDA), led by his party had lost one seat to the opposition in the previous Lok Sabha elections in 2019. He urged the partymen to work hard to win all the 40 seats (39 in TN and 1 in Puducherry) in the coming elections, since the people had given a clear mandate for the SDA by giving a thumping victory to the alliance partner-Congress' candidate- in the recent Erode East Assembly bypoll. Stalin said the win in Erode East was a reflection of the good governance and schemes given to the people of Tamil Nadu, like free bus travel fo

Puducherry Assembly adjourns sine die after holding session for 24 mins

The Puducherry Assembly which met here on Friday was adjourned sine die after holding a session for 24 minutes. The House passed the demands for additional grants for the year 2022-2023 sought by Chief Minister N Rangasamy and his cabinet colleagues for their respective departments. The House also passed the Appropriation Bill tabled by the Chief Minister. Earlier, the Speaker R Selvam made an obituary reference as soon as the House commenced proceedings regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The Speaker paid glowing tributes to the Queen who died on September 8, 2022. All the legislators stood in silence for a couple of minutes in memory of the late queen. After obituary reference, all the six opposition DMK members led by the legislature party leader R Siva who came dressed in school uniforms and carried bags to symbolically show that school students were yet to receive uniforms, urged the government to come out with a resolution on statehood for ...

RailTel bags Rs 170.11cr contract from Puducherry govt for Smart City

RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, a Mini Ratna Public Sector Unit (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways has received a work order from the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Puducherry for design, develop, supply, install, test, commission and Operations and Maintenance (O & M) for five years of Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) and other associated activities for Puducherry Smart City.The estimated total value of the work order is Rs 170.11cr (including GST) which will be completed in 10 months' time.As per the official statement, RailTel has been selected through competitive bidding and it is the first smart city project awarded by Puducherry Government.It further said that besides ICCC, the project includes Data Center Disaster Recovery (DC-DR), On Street Parking Management, Intelligent Traffic Management System, Creation of online/mobile based platform to facilitate tourists and visitors, City level application and Smart Dashboard, Smart Kiosks,

RailTel bags Rs 170.11 cr contract from Puducherry govt for Smart City

RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, a Mini Ratna Public Sector Unit (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways has received a work order from the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Puducherry for design, develop, supply, install, test, commission and Operations and Maintenance (O & M) for five years of Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) and other associated activities for Puducherry Smart City.The estimated total value of the work order is Rs 170.11cr (including GST) which will be completed in 10 months' time.As per the official statement, RailTel has been selected through competitive bidding and it is the first smart city project awarded by Puducherry Government.It further said that besides ICCC, the project includes Data Center Disaster Recovery (DC-DR), On Street Parking Management, Intelligent Traffic Management System, Creation of online/mobile based platform to facilitate tourists and visitors, City level application and Smart Dashboard, Smart Kiosks,

Shops closed, private buses off roads in Pondy during bandh for statehood

Most shops and establishments remained closed in Puducherry on Wednesday in response to the call given by the AIADMK for a day-long bandh to urge the Centre to grant statehood for the Union Territory. Secretary of the Puducherry unit of AIADMK (East) A Anbalagan, who gave the call for the shutdown, was taken into custody along with his supporters at his office in the early hours today. Anbalagan had earlier said that statehood was "absolutely necessary" for Puducherry. Privately-owned inter-state and intra-state buses went off the roads while state transport buses operated as usual. The Rajiv Gandhi bus terminal here remained forlorn with private operators not functioning. Auto-rickshaws and tempo travellers did not ply as well. Hotels and jewellery shops remained shut in and around Puducherry. Vegetable shops and fish vendors suspended their business in most of the areas. Police were deployed in strength at vantage points. Only two-wheelers could be seen on the main ...

Set up medical varsity in Puducherry, CM tells Union Minister of State

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Sunday urged Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar to establish a medical university here. At a meeting during the Central Minister's visit to the Union Territory, Rangasamy submitted a memorandum urging the Centre to set up the varsity. Earlier, the Union Minister addressed a meeting of officials of Health Department of Puducherry and the Centrally administered JIPMER here. She reviewed the implementation of various health-related schemes, said an official release. PWD Minister of Puducherry K Lakshminarayanan, Director of JIPMER Rakesh Agarwal, Director of Health of Puducherry administration G Sriramulu were among those who attended the meeting. The release said the Chief Minister in the memorandum sought early sanction of the university and also set up a radiotherapy centre, a de-addiction centre, a 200-bed hospital for infectious diseases and a pharmaceutical park here. The Chief Minister thanked the

India, SL to launch ferry service between Kankesanthurai and Pondicherry

Sri Lanka and India will start a passenger ferry service next month between Kankesanthurai port in Jaffna district and Pondicherry, according to media reports. Ports, Shipping, and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said arrangements were made to start the ferry service in mid-January next year, Colombo Page reported. The minister said the Indian government had extended consent for the service, Daily Mirror reported. "A large number of Indian citizens are engaged in business activities in the Jaffna Peninsula. With such engagement, the new service is expected to generate a large portion of foreign revenue. It will also be of immense convenience for Buddhist pilgrims to India," the minister said. The minister said that passenger transport services will also be started from south India to Trincomalee and Colombo in Sri Lanka. He pointed out that till now no firm conclusion has been reached about starting the ferry service between Thalaimannar and India. De Silva added

Rumblings in ruling NDA in Puducherry after CM Rangasawmy, BJP cross swords

BJP Puducherry state president, in a statement said that its pan-India policy was against alcohol and that the stance of the 12 BJP MLAs of the Puducherry Assembly was the same

Cyclone Mandous: Schools, colleges declare holiday in Puducherry, Karaikal

With the Cyclone 'Mandous' intensified into a major cyclonic storm, Puducherry has declared a two-day holiday for educational institutions across the territory

IMD predicts below normal rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry till Dec 8

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a below normal rainfall in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the next two weeks till December 8, officials said

Sri Lanka gets medicines from Puducherry for Tamil workers in hilly areas

Sri Lanka on Sunday received a consignment of medicines from the Government of Puducherry to be used for the Tamil workers in the hill plantation regions of the island nation's central province, according to the office of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The consignment, which was coordinated by the trade union cum political party of the plantation Tamils of Indian-origin, Ceylon Workers Congress, was received by President Wickremesinghe. Speaking on the occasion, Wickremesinghe said that the government will appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Tamils of Hill Country origin further into the Sri Lankan Society. While some of the Tamils of Hill Country origin had integrated successfully into the Sri Lankan society, some have failed and measures would be taken to assist them to do so, he said. The President recalled the Sirimalwatte-Shastri Pact between the then Indian and Sri Lankan leaders under which some of the Indian-origin plantation Tamils was ...

Now, two-wheeler riders in Puducherry must compulsorily wear helmets

The Puducherry government has announced that motorists riding two-wheelers and travelling pillion should both compulsorily wear helmets as the Union Territory has seen a rise in fatal road accidents in recent past. Transport Commissioner A S Sivakumar said a notification has been issued making it compulsory for two-wheeler riders to put on helmet. In a press release on Saturday, he said those riding two-wheelers without wearing helmets and those sitting pillion without using helmets would be levied a fine of Rs 1,000 each for first time violations. The driving licences of defaulters would also be suspended for three months. Besides not wearing helmets, those found to be using mobile phones while riding the vehicles would also face penal action. It may be mentioned that helmet wearing has not been compulsory in Puducherry till now. Sivakumar said road accidents have been on the rise in Puducherry. He said 3,410 accidents occurred on the roads in the UT between 2019 and 2021. The ..