PUDUCHERRY: Leader of the Opposition in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly, R Siva, has lashed out at Chief Minister N Rangasamy for failing to attend the recent NITI Aayog meeting, one of the few avenues available for smaller regions like Puducherry to highlight their demands and secure much-needed support from the central government.
He expressed dismay over the Chief Minister’s absence, especially when key issues such as the drastic reduction in Puducherry’s share of Union funds - from 70 per cent to just 25 per cent - needed urgent attention. He compared Rangasamy’s decision with that of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who, despite political differences with the centre, participated in the meeting with the hope of securing benefits for his state.
Siva noted that the Chief Minister missed an opportunity to personally raise several longstanding issues with the Prime Minister, including the delay in releasing Puducherry’s GST dues, the lack of support for critical infrastructure projects like the new Legislative Assembly building and the Smart City initiative, and the continued closure of the three spinning mills which were once a lifeline for local employment.
He also pointed out the absence of a 25 percent internal quota for Puducherry students in central institutions such as JIPMER and Puducherry Central University, as well as the Union government’s pressure on the Puducherry administration to fully fund centrally-sponsored schemes despite limited financial capacity.
He further stressed that the Chief Minister should have used the platform to seek a waiver or sharing of interest on Puducherry’s long-term debt of Rs 11,500 crore. Siva added that this meeting could have been the right moment for the Chief Minister to reiterate his party’s long-standing demand for statehood, a matter which has seen repeated resolutions in the Assembly.