Declare Puducherry as drought-hit: CM to Modi

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested the NDA government to declare the union territory as drought-hit besides sending a central team to assess the situation.
He also discussed about cashless transactions with Modi and pitched for its phase-wise implementation because of inadequate availability of Point of Sale (PoS) machines and people's limited access to debit cards in the Union Territory.
Puducherry Health and Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao was also present during Narayansamy's meeting with the PM.
"I requested the PM to declare Pondicherry as drought-hit and send a team to assess the situation and grant a relief package," Narayanasamy told media after the meeting.

Farming community in the UT has been affected because of deficiency in rainfall upto 79 per cent. The water crisis has aggravated as the Cauvery water has not reached till Karaikal, he added.
On cashless transactions, the Chief Minister said the issue was discussed with Modi in detail and suggested for slow migration from cash transactions to digital payments.

Narayanasamy was here in the national capital to take part in pre-budget and GST meetings.
In his meeting with PM, the Chief Minister said he has asked "for release of 70 per cent of non-plan expenditure of the UT that has been pending for the last five years".

He also demanded funds for construction of a hospital in Yanam district.
In a a telephonic conversation with union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Narayanasamy said he demanded transit of 4 lakh tonnes of freight through Pondicherry from Chennai port apart from extending Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor till Pondicherry.