Pondy govt in piquant situation, CM says in I-Day address

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy unfurled the tricolour and inspected the guard of honour presented by the territorial police during the 73rd Independence Day celebrations here on Thursday.

In his address during the celebration, the Chief Minister said the territorial government was facing a piquant situation.

While on the one hand, the Centre has reduced considerably its grant to the territorial government, on the other the administration was encountering challenges every year to get the central assistance, he said.

Despite these challenges and hurdles, the government has implemented a number of welfare programmes and ensured their benefits reached the targeted sections, Narayanasamy said.

Referring to the various schemes implemented by the government since it was formed three years ago, he said mobilisation of revenue during 2018-2019 was 'comfortably good' and the government had spent the revised budget estimate of Rs 7,416 crore during 2018-2019.

The commercial taxes department has netted Rs 2,131 crore as revenue for the administration during the previous fiscal and a revenue of Rs 767 crore has been mobilised by the department till July this year, he pointed out.

The Union Territory has been presented the national- level reward by the Prime Minister for 'excellent implementation of housing schemes by integrating the state- level Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Housing Scheme and the Prime Minister's Awas Yojana.

The government had entrusted with the French Institute (a research institution run by French government here) the work of documentation of historical features, details of the idols, the conventions and poojas adopted in 10 ancient shrines here.

Later, Narayanasamy presented the President's police medal for meritorious services to the Superintendent of Police B Ranganathan and also presented under different heads to police officials and volunteers of the NCC.

Cash award was also handed to all the personnel attached to the Nettapakkam police station which had bagged the fourth place at the national-level competition of best maintained police stations.

Narayanasamy took a salute at the marchpast present by various contingents of school children, police, home guards, fire service personnel and ex-servicemen.

Cultural programmes were presented by school children.

Chief Secretary Ashwini Kumar announced that the President's medal for meritorious services was awarded to the Inspector of Police S Janaki and the assistant sub-inspector Richard and the awards would be presented to the police officials at the Republic Day celebrations in 2020.

Speaker V P Sivakolundhu, PWD Minister A Namassivayam, Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, legislators of the DMK, the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata party were among those who witnessed the celebrations.

Chief Minister later unfurled the tricolour on the Assembly premises.

Independence day was celebrated in Pondicherry University and JIPMER.