PUDUCHERRY: Leader of Opposition in Puducherry R Siva urged the Central government to grant statehood to Puducherry and address several long-pending demands of the Union Territory.
In a memorandum submitted during the Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan's visit, he highlighted critical issues affecting the region's development, including statehood, debt waivers, and economic restructuring. AIADMK also submitted a memorandum seeking statehood and other similar demands.
According to Siva, statehood has been a persistent issue raised by political parties, with numerous resolutions passed by the Puducherry Legislative Assembly, including one during the recent budget session. Another major concern is the waiver of legacy loan from 2007 when Puducherry established its Separate Public Account in the Reserve Bank of India.
Despite repeated requests, the loan was never written off. Siva also called for a one-time provision of Rs 5,000 crores in capital infrastructure funds to aid economic growth. He also proposed restructuring the Union Territory's existing debt, extending the repayment period to 50 years to address the growing revenue deficit.
AIADMK state Secretary A Anbalagan, in the memorandum, criticized the delay in holding local body elections in the UT, which were last conducted in 2011 and urged the ministry to ensure their timely execution. Another significant concern raised was Puducherry's exclusion from the Finance Commission, despite its inclusion of other Union Territories like Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. AIADMK requested the Home Ministry to advocate for Puducherry’s inclusion in the 16th Finance Commission.
Further demands included increasing the promotion quota for local officers in the Puducherry Civil Service to 75%, and the urgent implementation of the Right to Education Act, which has been delayed for over 15 years.