Pondy CM to convene all-party meet on statehood demand

Locked in a war of words with Lt Governor Virendra Kataria, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy today said he would convene an all-party meeting this month-end to seek consensus on the demand for statehood for the Union Territory.
"I will hold the meeting to mobilise cooperation of leaders of all parties," he told reporters here.
Few days back, he had alleged that Kataria was standing in the way of approving most decisions of his cabinet and statehood "is the key to wriggle out of the situation".
Kataria, in his rejoinder, had asked the Chief Minister "to take care of the poor and improve the administrative set-up instead of indulging in petty politics".

Rangasamy said he would head an all-party delegation after the proposed joint meeting, to meet the President and Prime Minister in New Delhi to press statehood for Puducherry.
"Statehood would help the elected government to expeditiously implement various schemes and fulfill expectations of the people," he said.
The vast stretch of land acquired for the special economic zone in Sedarapet and Karasur villages here would be used for an airport as the SEZ project had not been approved by the Centre, he said.
A team of officials from the Airports Authority of India would visit Puducherry to study the feasibility of the airport project, he added.