PUDUCHERRY: 15 months after assuming charge, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi seeking additional central assistance of Rs 2,000 crore to present the 2022-23 annual budget. He also raised the issue of Statehood and other financial needs of the UT.
Rangasamy made the visit on Tuesday, a day ahead of the commencement of the budget session in the Assembly. The draft budget of Rs 11,000 crore sent by the government almost a month ago was yet to be approved by the Centre.
Submitting a memorandum to the PM, the CM said that the Rs 2,000 crore was essential even to maintain the revised budget estimates of Rs 10,414 crore of the previous year, if GST compensation was not extended during the current year. “The budget cannot be presented in the Assembly unless the additional central assistance is granted,” said the CM.
Raising the long-pending demand for Statehood, Rangasamy said the elected government was unable to exercise powers to create employment potential by inviting more industries here or create infrastructure facilities for tourism.