The Congress, which is trying to retain the seat it won in 2009 elections, is seeking votes by harping on the contributions made by the Central government to Puducherry and achievements of the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy.
Refuting the charges made by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, the Congress maintained that the per capita grant by the Union government to Puducherry in five years (2009-2014) has been the highest in the country.
The Centre had extended assistance of `18,171 crore to Puducherry under the Plan allocation and `5,052 crore under the non-Plan allocation during 2009-2014, said Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The PCC blamed the AINRC government for failing to utilise the plan allocations fully, despite the ‘phenomenal’ increase in allocation from `1,750 crore in 2008-2009 to `2,750 crore in 2012-2013.
The Congress said Narayanasamy had ensured enhanced allocations for the Union Territory, infrastructure development, securing tourism funds, educational development, procuring massive housing schemes for poor and the underprivileged, implementation of drinking water project and skill development programme and introduction of 17 trains and two road overbridges with 100 per cent funding by the railways.