Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasami has submitted a memorandum to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar demanding state status to the union territory.
President Dhankhar is on an official visit to Puducherry these days and participated in the programs of Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Sciences (Zipmar) and Pondicherry Central University.
Rangasami said during a meeting with the Vice President on Monday that all the elected governments so far, irrespective of their party, have constantly urged the central government to get state status.
He said in the memorandum that the Assembly had passed a resolution to give state status to all political parties and especially the people of Puducherry.
The Chief Minister said that the government of Puducherry has limited rights not according to the Constitution, but under the ‘Union Territory Act’ of the year 1963 passed by Parliament. For this reason, despite being an elected government, many development works cannot be done on time.
He also said that Puducherry has not yet been included in the Finance Commission, due to which proper funds are not available for development plans. He said that if Puducherry gets state status, he can get an additional 1,500 to 2,000 crore, so that tourism and infrastructure can be strengthened.
Rangasami said, “It has become difficult to attract investors to set up industries in the state due to limited rights, which are also affecting employment opportunities.”
The Chief Minister requested the Vice President to raise the subject at a high level, so that Puducherry can get state status and the state should get development opportunities in the field of industrial and tourism.
