R. ARIVANANTHAM
PUDUCHERRY, JAN 15
Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy called on the Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman in New Delhi and sought Central assistance besides statehood here on Tuesday.
Narayanasamy met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and urged her to release the compensation due for Puducherry for implementation of the Goods and Services Tax in the Union Territory.
A release from his office here said the chief minister drew the attention of the Home Minister to resolutions adopted on the floor of the Assembly over the years seeking statehood for Puducherry.
“Statehood is absolutely necessary for uninterrupted development of Puducherry in all sectors, implementation of welfare schemes without any hurdle, generation of job opportunities and for increase revenue from various sources for the territorial government,” he said in a letter handed over to Shah.
He also pleaded for inclusion of Union Territory in the fifteenth Central Finance Commission and waiver of loans drawn by the Puducherry administration over the years from the Centre.
“A serious fiscal crisis has emerged out of the opening of separate fiscal account by the Puducherry administration in 2007 and the debt burden has also increased much to the hardships of Puducherry government,” Narayanasamy said.
Narayanasamy also sought Rs 1000 crore grant for the union territory to enable the government to construct a new building for the Assembly and also for the construction of a convention centre, the release added.
