Pondy CM meets Shah, Nirmala Sitharman with a slew of demands

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Tuesday called on Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday in New Delhi and sought Central assistance besides statehood for Puducherry and waiver of loans.

Narayanasamy also 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 presented 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 debt burden has also increased much to the hardships of Puducherry government," Narayanasamy said.

He sought a Rs 1000 crore grant for Puducherry to enable the territorial government to construct a new building for the Assembly and also for construction of a convention centre.