Puducherry: The Puducherry Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Centre to concede the plea of the union territory for full statehood.
The resolution was first tabled jointly by the DMK legislators R Siva, A M H Nazeem and R Senthilkumar and by independent member G Nehru alias Kuppusamy. The resolution was subsequently adopted as an official resolution on a request by Chief Minister N Rangasamy.
Earlier moving the resolution, Siva said Puducherry had been a Union Territory since its freedom from French rule some seventy years ago. While other Union Territories like Goa have become full-fledged states and have made stupendous progress, Puducherry had been under the rule by the Union Home Ministry since its merger with the Indian Union.
"If Puducherry becomes a state the expectations of the people for fast development in all sectors would be realised in practice," Siva said.
The demand for statehood for Puducherry had been made since 1972 and the Centre's attention had also been drawn to the plea, the resolution said. Despite repeated pleas, the Centre had not formed any committee and had taken the stand that the present status (of Puducherry being a Union Territory) would continue.
Hence, the Centre should be urged without a break for grant of full-fledged statehood so that the rights of the people would be respected. "The Centre should concede the demand," it stated.
The other DMK members Nazeem and Senthilkumar and the independent member Nehru made a convincing case for grant of statehood for Puducherry.
There was also a suggestion that a joint delegation of leaders of all political parties, legislators and Ministers should go to Delhi and persuade the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Finance Minister to ensure that Puducherry became a full-fledged state.
After listening to the views of the members and also their 'emotional and spirited' demand for statehood, the Chief Minister pointed out that the private member resolution be treated as an official resolution.
He welcomed the suggestion of the members who had tabled the resolution that a delegation be taken to the Centre to meet the Prime Minister, Home and Finance Ministers to push the demand for statehood. He also said that the cooperation of MPs from different states could also be sought to back the demand of Puducherry for statehood.
Speaker R Selvam adjourned the House sine die after the resolution for statehood for Puducherry was unanimously adopted.
The budget session of the Assembly began on July 31 with the customary address by the then Lt Governor C P Radhakrishnan. Chief Minister Rangasamy, who holds the Finance portfolio, presented the budget on August 2 for the 2024-2025 fiscal. The House had sittings for eleven days.