The territorial Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution unanimously urging the Centre to grant statehood to Puducherry after Chief Minister N Rangasamy made out a strong case for it.
The resolution was first moved as private members resolution by the opposition DMK and an Independent member G Nehru seeking statehood for Puducherry ‘to overcome several handicaps and hindrances the elected government was facing now as Puducherry was an Union Territory.’ The Chief Minister, who rose to respond to the resolution, said “it (resolution) is converted into an official resolution.” With all the members who spoke earlier extending support to the resolution for statehood, Speaker R Selvam announced it was treated as an official resolution and was adopted unanimously.
All members, irrespective of their party affiliation and nominated and Independent members stood up and banged the desks showing their joy at the resolution being adopted unanimously and as an official resolution.
Earlier, DMK members R Siva, A M H Nazeem, Annibal Kennedy and R Senthil Kumar and Independent member G Nehru tabled the resolution to urge the Centre to grant statehood to Puducherry.
There was also a suggestion that the Chief Minister take a delegation of all the legislators to meet the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and other union Ministers to urge the Centre to concede the demand.
The Chief Minister, who spoke after listening to the views expressed by the members on the need for statehood, said “the demand for statehood is reiterated not for administrative purposes but it is a matter of our right.” He said he would lead a team of all legislators to meet the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and other Central ministers to press for the demand.
With inputs from News18
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