PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry celebrated the 78th Independence Day with Chief Minister N Rangasamy unfurling the national tricolour at Beach Road on Thursday and inspecting a guard of honour.
Addressing the gathering, the CM expressed his government’s commitment to create favourable conditions for the people to live freely, safely, and prosperously. He reaffirmed that the UT government will implement all schemes and outlined his vision for Puducherry to become a developed state by 2047.
He highlighted the achievements of the UT in various sectors, including education, health, and welfare. He noted that the per capita income of Puducherry has risen to S2.63 lakh. In the agricultural sector, the government has waived loans totalling S13.36 crore for farmers, with S2 crore earmarked for immediate relief.
Rangasamy emphasised the government’s focus on uplifting backward communities and minorities, with S21.29 crore allocated for their welfare. The government is paying serious attention to maintain peace, law and order, said Rangasamy. The Drug trafficking unit will be strengthened in Puducherry at a cost of S5.91 crore.
To facilitate and exchange information between police, prison, court and forensic departments, the existingInter-functional Criminal Justice System website will be upgraded to ICJS 2.0 at a cost of S6.29 crore for rapid implementation. The CM said the “Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Financial Assistance Scheme” for higher education has benefited 89,616 students, with S416 crore disbursed to prevent dropouts, particularly from medical education. He also revealed plans to host the World Tamil Conference in Puducherry on a grand scale.
The event witnessed march-past by various contingents, including the police, home guards, NCC and students, troupes from 12 states showcasing the diverse heritage by school students. The event was attended by prominent dignitaries including Speaker R Selvam, Deputy Speaker P Rajavelu, Ministers A Namassivayam and Sai Saravana Kumar MLAs and officials.