PUDUCHERRY: Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan presided over the 75th Republic Day celebrations at Beach Road in Puducherry on Friday. After receiving the guard of honour from the police personnel, she acknowledged the outstanding performances of schools, students, social workers, and government officials by presenting them with awards.
Cultural performances by school children added colours to the event.
Dr Tamilisai, in her address, highlighted the impact of the central government's Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra. She said, "Through the initiative, 17 central government welfare schemes have been directly issued to the beneficiaries in various locations." She emphasised the success of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with 98.54% of beneficiaries under 133 welfare schemes receiving funds directly to their bank accounts.
She detailed the allocation of funds for farmers, mentioning Puducherry's top rank in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Various departments disbursed funds for education, skill development, self-employment, and to construct public toilets. Dr Tamilisai also emphasised the achievements under schemes like Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Projects for communication equipment at electricity substations, allocation of funds for the development of Puducherry Road Transport Corporation, and a proposal for a pollution-free UT were also outlined during the occasion. Additionally, she highlighted the efforts towards diversity, by providing 33% reservation for women in various government postings and the creation of three new additional district fire officer positions.
Dr Tamilisai commended the resilience of Puducherry's tourism sector, despite the challenges brought in by COVID-19, and attributed it to government initiatives. Initiatives to curb plastic usage in the UT, including the installation of cloth bag vending machines and declaration of educational institutions as plastic-free, were underscored.
Chief Minister N Rangasamy, speaker R Selvam, deputy speaker P Rajavelu, ministers A Namassivayam, C Djeacoumar, AK Sai J Saravanan Kumar, MP R Selvaganabathy, MLAs, and other officials attended the event. The L-G hosted the invitees at Raj Nivas later the day.
Two-hour delay than previous years
As Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan, who is also the governor of Telangana, had to attend the Republic Day celebrations in the state, the event in Puducherry, usually scheduled for 8 am, began at 10:15 am on Friday. Additionally, inadequate space to accommodate the gathered crowd led to attendees occupying areas designated for media personnel.