Puducherry government appeals to INDIA bloc to withdraw bandh on Sept. 18

The government has requested INDIA bloc to reconsider its decision to observe a bandh in Puducherry on September 18.

Addressing a press conference here, Minister for Public Works K. Lakshminarayanan said the decision to observe the bandh against power tariff hike was unwarranted as the government has come out with a subsidy scheme for consumers to offset the increase in electricity charge.

“We request the INDIA bloc to withdraw the bandh as it will only cause inconvenience to public. The government has already announced subsidy to the consumers for reducing their financial burden. There is no justification for the bandh after the announcement of the subsidy,“ the Minister said.

Stating that the bandh was politically motivated, the Minister said the tariff hike was based on the legislations made by the Parliament in 2003 and 2009. “The DMK was part of the Central government in 2003. In 2009, the Congress headed the Central government with the support of the DMK. At that time, the Congress party was in power in Puducherry also. When they [INDIA bloc] were in power, they did not object to the setting up of Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission [JERC]. After JERC came into existence, the U.T. administration has no role in determining power tariff. If INDIA bloc is very concerned about public, let them demand scrapping of JERC in the Parliament,” he said.

Questioning the Congress, the DMK and the Left parties for calling for a bandh, the Minister said the Tamil Nadu government has hiked power several times in the last three and a half years. The Congress government in Karnataka, Telangana and the Left in Kerala have hiked tariff, he said. 

“Even during the time of previous the Congress government in Puducherry, the electricity charge was hiked five times based on recommendations of JERC. But unlike our government, the Congress government did not provide subsidy. Even after imposing the hike, the tariff was less in Puducherry compared to Tamil Nadu. The INDIA bloc is enacting a drama on the power tariff issue,” the Minister said.

Talks with Asian Development Bank

Mr. Lakshminarayanan said the AINRC-BJP government has initiated several welfare measures and development works since it came to power in 2021. The government is in talks with Asian Development Bank to avail around ₹4,750 crore for initiating various development and infrastructure works. “The Chief Minister held talks with officials of ADB and they have in-principle agreed to provide a loan for a period of 25 years. A detailed project report will be submitted to the Central government for facilitating the loan,” he added.

The grade separator project connecting Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi squares was on the right track, he said adding that the Public Works Department has clarified to the Union Ministry of Road Transport certain doubts pertaining to the project. The Puducherry government was awaiting financial sanction for the project, he added. 

Minister for Agriculture C. Djeacoumar and AINRC legislators were present at the press conference.