Puducherry steps up demand for statehood

Puducherry: A long-pending demand, the plea for statehood to this union territory echoed once again in the State Assembly earlier this week, when the House passed a unanimous resolution expressing its sentiments with the Centre on the matter.

The territorial Assembly had in the past adopted resolutions on 15 occasions seeking statehood.

The election manifestos of all political parties released during the run up to either Assembly or Lok Sabha polls all along had been insisting they would strive hard for ensuring statehood to Puducherry, a coastal town located about 170 km from Chennai.

Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam located as enclaves either in Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Andhra Pradesh had been together as a union territory since their merger with the Indian Union through a referendum in 1954.

It has been the contention of the parties coming to power that the lack of full-fledged powers to the elected government at had been a major handicap. They state that even to introduce a Bill in the territorial Assembly, the consent of the Centre is necessary. The House had adopted a resolution on August 14 on the statehood issue, with all parties backing the motion.

Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who heads the AINRC-BJP coalition government here, has been pressing the plea for statehood as he is of the view that in the present constitutional status of Puducherry being a Union Territory, the decisions of the elected government could not be implemented expeditiously as several hurdles have to be overcome.

He had recently said that "the only solution for all the difficulties the territorial government is facing is conferment of statehood on Puducherry." Former Puducherry Chief Minister and senior Congress leader V Narayanasamy told PTI that statehood was 'absolutely' necessary and re-affirmed his party's support for the cause.

He said there was no room for any apprehension that the UT's financial position would be strained in the event of being granted statehood.

"The Centre's share for the budget of Puducherry and the State's contributions would be copiously available. There should be prudence in planning and spending of money," he said.

The State government should ensure firm realization of taxes by Departments of Electricity and Commercial Taxes. These two, besides the Registration Department are the main sources of revenue for the government. The government should exercise utmost caution in realizing the dues from big power consumers and those paying commercial tax, he said.

Want of statehood had been standing in the way of government not being able to implement its decisions, members belonging to both the ruling and opposition blocks point out more often than not.

The territorial Assembly had in the past adopted resolutions on 15 occasions to seek statehood.

It is also the grievance of the territorial government that Puducherry has not been presently accommodated in the Central Finance commission. The devolution of central funds would be more if Puducherry is included in the Commission.

Frequent tussles between the elected government and the then Lt Governor Kiran Bedi during the previous Congress regime headed by Narayanasamy had affected the decision-making of the elected government. Whenever differences of opinion cropped up between the two constitutional authorities in the past, the matter used to be referred to the Union Home Ministry for its opinion.

For instance, when a question arose whether the free rice scheme be implemented either by supplying rice to the ration card holders through fair price shops as decided by the elected Congress government or people be paid in cash equivalent to the quantum of rice through their bank accounts as was insisted by the then LG Bedi, it was referred to the Union Home Ministry for its decision. Bedi had the last laugh.

Recently, the incumbent government had decided to supply free rice through ration shops. This was approved in-principle in June this year by the then Lt Governor C P Radhakrishnan.

It is the contention of the opposition parties that now that the Union Territory has the Bhartiya Janata party (BJP) as a part of the AINRC coalition ministry, there would be no difficulty in getting statehood.

"Now is the time ripe for getting statehood and hence a joint delegation would be of help," to further proceed on the matter, leaders of the DMK and other parties said.

AIADMK's Puducherry secretary A Anbalagan recalled his party had fought tooth and nail for statehood. He wanted the present government to intensify its efforts to reach the goal.

The demand for statehood has thus been intensified now more than ever with the legislators becoming optimistic of achieving the goal.