Centre ‘concedes’ to Puducherry’s demand for statehood: N Rangasamy

Rangasamy was replying to the views of members of both ruling and opposition blocks during a debate on the budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year in the legislative assembly.

Puducherry chief minister N Rangasamy on Wednesday said the Centre decided to concede to the demand for statehood to Puducherry, news agency PTI reported. “The central government has decided to concede the plea for full-fledged statehood for Puducherry. Statehood is absolutely necessary for Puducherry,” Rangasamy said without elaborating further on the issue.

Chief minister N. Rangasamy said that the Centre decided to concede to the demand for Puducherry's statehood. (PTI Photo)

Rangasamy was replying to the views of members of both ruling and opposition blocks during a debate on the budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year in the legislative assembly. He also said that he requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sanction central grants to the Puducherry budget under 90:10 ratio with the Centre contributing to 90% of the total requirement and the rest 10% being borne by the Puducherry government. The ratio is currently 60:40.

All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) ahead of the Puducherry polls this year promised statehood for Puducherry in its poll manifesto. The AINRC along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the elections earlier this year. The AINRC bagged 10 seats out of the 16 it contested in the April 6 polls while the BJP garnered six out of the nine seats it contested.