“If the rules are accessible and is not

harsh in speech, the state will attain

fame”.

– KURAL

Hon’ble Speaker and distinguished Members

of this august House,

I t gives me immense pleasure to

deliver my address in the Eleventh Session of

the Twelfth Legislative Assembly in the Union

Territory of Puducherry. At the outset I wish all

the Hon’ble Members a Happy New Year. I also

congratulate the Hon’ble Members for transacting

the Legislative business in a conducive way for

the betterment of the Puducherry economy and

its people.

Budget Speech Governor Puducherry State

2

2. An Interim Budget is proposed by my

Government in v iew of ensuing Assembly

Elections at the conclusion of the term of this

august House to fac i l i ta te the f low of

development works during the current financial

year and for 2011-12. You may be aware that

we are in the fourth year of the Eleventh Five

Year Plan and will be entering the fifth year

in 2011-12. I am happy to note that Puducherry

economy grew at an annual growth rate of about

10% and this trend was maintained throughout

2007-10. Planning Commission is in the process

of finalizing the approach paper to the Twelfth

Five Year Plan (2012-17) and shortly would be

communicating the same to the States / Union

Territories. Meanwhile, I am happy to share with

you that the Planning Commission has brought

out a Puducherry State Development Report

which provides a road map for achieving higher

level of growth in the Union Terr i tory of

Puducherry.

3

3. I have noted with satisfaction that the

mobilization of internal resources for plan financing

has been steadily increasing in proportion to our

plan size. Our receipts in the current plan year

are estimated at ` 1,900 crores as against ` 1,510

crores in the previous year. I am happy to inform

that as against the Plan expenditure of ` 1,450

crores during 2009-10, will be surpassed by the

current financial year. I place on record my

Government’s gratitude to the Government of India

for having provided Central Gap Grant assistance

for meeting higher Plan expenditure.

4. Puducherry Economy is oriented towards

secondary and services sectors contributing about

96% of the State GDP. Though primary sector

contributes only around 4%, this sector is also

given adequate importance so as to ensure

inclusive growth. Because of the well implemented

Plan schemes coupled with credit faci l i t ies

4

extended by public sector financial institutions

through the implementation of Annual Credit Plan

has made the Union Territory to achieve per capita

income to the level of ` 72,917 in 2009-10 at

current prices. Our per capita Plan expenditure

presently stands at ` 14,882 which is likely to

go up to ` 18,000 due to increased allocation

during the current financial year.

5. Apart from implementing the 300 plus

Plan Schemes under State Plan sector, and the

key Centrally assisted Flagship Programmes are

now being implemented in our Union Territory and

the progress is being closely monitored by

Government. This periodical review has ensured

the pace of implementation of the Plan Schemes

relatively on a faster mode.

6. As agriculture and allied activities are

crucial for the sustenance of the poorest of the

poor, the preparation of a State Agricultural Plan

(SAP) under RKVY for the Union Territory has

5

been entrusted to the PAJANCOA to be completed

by March, 2011. This will help in enhancing

productivity from our limited land resources.

Commodity interest groups are formed under the

ATMA programme to serve as a link between the

farmers and extension workers and 130 groups

will be formed by March 2011. In order to

encourage livestock rearing by poor rural families,

the feed subsidy for milch animals and calf feed

subsidy have been enhanced by my Government

to 75%.

7. A sum of ` 6.76 crores has been

disbursed in the form of crop loan to the farmers.

The Puducherry Central Co-operative Processing

Supply and Marketing Society has commenced

its modernization of its Rice Mill at ` 2.06 crores

to enhance the production capacity to 3 metric

tonne of paddy per hour for supply of quality

rice to the public. In order to fulfill the demand

6

of the farmers of Karaikal region, the Karaikal

Central Co-operative Processing Supply and

Marketing Society has undertaken the distribution

of fertilizers for the benefit of the farmers. The

modernization and rehabilitation programme was

completed at a cost of ` 29.50 crores by the

Puducherry Co-operative Spinning Mills to maximize

the production with financial assistance from the

National Co-operative Development Corporation.

8. The Union Territory of Puducherry has

a coastal area stretching 45 kms. inhabited by

35 villages predominantly inhabited by fishermen.

They provide an important line of defence in

securing our coastal area to ensure their presence

in the villages during lean fishing season, a

cash assistance of ` 2,750 to each family covering

about 22,000 fishermen families was disbursed

during the current year. I feel proud in informing

this House that Phase-II of construct ion of

inf rastructura l fac i l i t ies for F ishing Harbour

7

at Karaikal is in progress and would be completed

by March 2011. Government of India has taken

initiative for issuance of Biometric Smart Cards

to coastal fishermen and for uniform Online

Registration of Fishing Vessels of the Union

Territory of Puducherry.

9. Puducherry is in the forefront in

encouraging the women folk to form Self-help

Groups for taking small enterprises for

supplementing family income by availing financial

assistance from Government and loan from

Commercial Banks. My Government is

supplementing the Central assistance by providing

interest subsidy against loans drawn from the

Commercial Banks. During the current financial

year, 140 Self-help Groups were formed. Revolving

fund assistance was given to the tune of

` 24.10 lakhs. The subsidy given to the 98 groups

to the tune of ` 111.18 lakhs with credit

achievement o f ` 1 9 7 . 5 0 l a k h s . I n t h e

8

implementat ion of MGNREGA, this Union Territory

Stands in first position among the other States

at national level in respect of work completion

and payments are made to MGNREGA

beneficiaries through their bank accounts by

e-transfer. Under MGNREGA 74,411 individuals

were registered from 60,780 households and they

have been provided with employment. No job card-

holder had been denied work under the scheme.

Sufficient number of works with an estimated cost

of ` 37 crores, were identified through their Gram

Sabhas and administrative approval has also been

accorded for execution of these schemes.

10. Hon’ble Members may be aware that

Electricity Department has constituted and notified

the Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum for

the Union Territory of Puducherry, with three

Members, including one Chairperson. The forum

started functioning and the Chairperson has

assumed his office. As per the regulations of

9

the JERC, the condit ions laid down in the

Electricity Supply Code and Standard of

Performance is being adopted by the Electricity

Department. Under R-APDRP scheme, a project

report has been prepared for an estimated amount

of ` 27.53 crores for the preparation of Base-line

data covering consumer indexing, GIS mapping,

metering of distribution transformers and feeders

and automatic data logging for all distribution

transformers and feeders, to be funded by the

Power Finance Corporation.

11. For the setting up of an Integrated

Textile Park in Puducherry approval of the Ministry

of Textiles, is awaited for appointing M/s. IL&FS

as Project Management Consultant. During the

current financial year, 1 Large, 2 Medium and

148 Small Scale and Micro-industrial Units have

been registered with an investment of ` 70.57

crores providing employment to approximately

1,800 persons.

10

12. 19 Rural Water Supply Schemes and

36 Rural roads have been completed in

Puducherry by avail ing loan assistance from

NABARD. Beautification of Beach Promenade has

been completed at a cost of ` 4.92 crores.

Construction of a new bridge across Arasalar River

at Karaikal has been completed at a cost of

` 3.12 crores. Hon’ble Members may be aware

that the Thirumalairajanar Bridge has been damaged

which caused traffic interruption between Karaikal

and Nagore. My Government has immediately

sanctioned ` 50 lakhs for the restoration of the

traffic. Further, ` 2 crores has been allocated

towards land acquisition for the construction of

a new bridge, over and above of Government

of India share of ` 3 crores towards this purpose.

The Buddha Park has been constructed at Yanam

at a cost of ` 4.42 crores and this was opened

for the public by this Government.

11

13. The unique heritage of Puducherry was

showcased in the World Expo at Shanghai from

May 2010 to October 2010. An MoU has been

signed with the French City of La Rochelle

for tourism promotion. “New Institutional Building

for Puducherry Institute of Hotel Management

and Catering Technology” and “Revitalization of

Karaikal Ammaiyar Koil Tank in Karaikal” were

completed.

14. Our Hon’ble Members may be aware

that by responding to the needs of the general

public and the BPL families, my Government

started implementing distribution of ‘Single-boiled’

Rice from September 2010 onwards to the ration

card-holders instead of double boiled rice. Food

Corporation of India (FCI) continues to be the

procuring agency for ‘single-boiled’ Rice.

A scheme to give free LPG gas connection with

stove to all red card-holders has been introduced

by my Government. Til l now, approximately

one lakh beneficiaries were assisted including

25,000 Scheduled Castes.

12

15. Planning Commission has conceived UID

Project to provide identification for each resident

across the country to act as a tool for effective

monitoring of various programmes and schemes

of the Government. This would help to create

a Core Data Base (CDB) used by all departments

for identification of residents in the country for

various purposes and allow targeted people to

get the benefits that they are entitled to from

Government. State UID Implementation Committee

under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary and

an Empowered Committee under my Chairmanship

were constituted to oversee and guide the

implementation of the UID Project in the Union

Territory of Puducherry. An MoU was signed

on June 28, 2010 between the Unique

Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Regional

Office, Bengaluru and Government of Puducherry

for the implementation of the UID Project in the

Union Territory of Puducherry. The Registrar for

the Project is Director (Civi l Supplies and

13

Consumer Affairs). As a measure of streamlining /

improving Public Distribution System, action has

been initiated to issue Biometric Smart Cards

during the year 2011. The existing card details

have been verified and computerized to suit the

issue of smart cards. The biometric capture of

data of individuals are being done in collaboration

with UIDAI. This scheme was launched

on 24–1–2011.

16. I am happy to inform that the Union

Territory of Puducherry is in the forefront in

providing quality education to the children. As

part of providing adequate infrastructure to the

Boys and Girls, 256 class rooms have been taken

up and 192 class rooms were completed in a

short t ime. The remaining class rooms are

progressing. Construction of new buildings for

Government High School at Alankuppam and

Arumparthapuram and for Government Higher

Secondary School at Nonankuppam have been

14

completed and inaugurated. A mega Science

Exhibition “Southern India Science Exhibition /

Drama Festival” has been conducted in Puducherry

by the Directorate of School Education for a period

of five days from 20th to 24th January 2011 at

Vivekananda Higher Secondary School, Lawspet,

Puducherry in collaboration with the Visveswaraya

Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru.

More than 90,000 visitors visited the Science

Exhibition including 40,000 students. Students from

all Southern States had participated. The newly

constructed Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Modern

International Indoor Stadium at Yanam has been

inaugurated on 27th November 2010. Construction

of Indoor Stadium at Karaikal is nearing

completion. The Mahe Indoor Stadium was

completed and will be inaugurated shortly. In order

to encourage the sports and youth activities in

Puducherry, renovation of the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor

Stadium has been taken up at a cost of

` 7.50 crores. Newly constructed Mega Central

15

Kitchen at Lawspet at a cost of ` 2 crores was

inaugurated on 26-1-2011 which will cater to the

needs of 18,000 school students.

17. The talented artists and scholars in the

Union Territory were identif ied and assisted.

46 eminent persons in the field of literature, music,

drama, dance, painting and folk art were awarded

with ` 20,000 and 2 sovereigns of Gold Medal.

Tamilmamani Award of ` 30,000 and 3 sovereigns

of Gold Medal to 6 eminent Tamil Scholars and

a Cash Award of ` 30,000 and 3 sovereigns

of Gold Medal to 2 eminent Telugu Scholars were

awarded. I am happy to inform that the Subbaiah

Museum is progressing well. Under the scheme

“Kamarajar Padipagam”, 13 No. of Reading Rooms

were established in rural areas.

18. With the starting of Government Medical

College in Puducherry, National Institute of

Technology in Karaikal and with the prospect of

starting State University in the current year itself,

16

the Union Territory of Puducherry is all set to

play as a knowledge hub in South India. We

have made an allocation of ` 11.41 crores during

the current financial year for the acquisition of

land for the construction of NIT campus at

Karaikal. The Karaikal Polytechnic College has

been selected under the scheme Submission of

Polytechnics under Coordinated Action for Skill

Development and allotted ` 50 lakhs as first

installment by the Ministry of Human Resources

Development for the construction of Women’s

Hostel. A new Polytechnic College for Women

has been started in Karaikal region during the

current financial year.

19. The “Solid Waste Management Project”

under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal

Mission (JNNURM), was already commenced. All

the 26 non Air-conditioned buses procured under

the Urban Transport System have been

operationalized and another 14 buses will be

17

procured. The work of laying of pipelines from

Dowlaiswaram to Yanam to draw 3 cusecs of

water would be completed shortly. Under Basic

Serv ices to the Urban Poor o f JNNURM,

17 locat ions in Communi ty Deve lopment

Programme areas have been ident i f ied for

construction of 1,660 dwelling units and in the

first phase, 142 houses have been completed

at Ar iyur and 127 houses are near ing

completion in Pitchaiveeranpet. Construction work

in respect of 1,136 houses are in progress

at Lambert Saravanan Nagar and 168 houses

at Vazhaikulam.

20. My Government bestows special attention

towards the welfare of members of Scheduled

Caste population. All Scheduled Caste students

are being provided financial assistance for pursuing

professional courses. Housing for the homeless

Scheduled Caste families is a priority area for

my Government. During 2010-11, 1,400 families

were assisted with housing subsidy at the

18

rate of ` 2 lakhs per family. Reconstruction of

old and damaged Scheduled Caste houses are

also being taken up in Puducherry and Karaikal

regions by availing loan of ` 145 crores from

HUDCO. The construction of a multi-storyed

residential building complex is in progress.

Similarly for Scheduled Caste children a residential

school will be constructed for which land had

already been acquired.

21. For the Welfare of Women and Children

my Government is providing an assistance of

` 500 to 1,366 pregnant women under Kulavilakku

scheme. 889 lactating mothers were granted

assistance of ` 1,200 under Aravanaippu Scheme.

Widows were granted ` 20,000 in the form of

National Saving Certificate as an incentive for

their remarriage. 2,185 brides belonging to poor

families were assisted ` 15,000 each under the

scheme grant of f inancial assistance for

performance of marriage of poor brides living

Below Poverty Line. 659 widows were granted

19

` 20,000 under the scheme Widow’s Daughter’s

Marriage Allowance. 275 families having one girl /

two girl children and parents who have undergone

family planning were given Fixed Deposits for

an amount of ` 20,000 in the name of Girl Child /

Children. 118 families were benefited through the

scheme Grant of Financial Assistance to the Poor

Parents having One Girl Child, studying 8th to

10th Standard by providing financial assistance

of ` 25,000 in the form of National Savings

Certificates.

22. As per the directions of the Supreme

Court on elimination of child labour, the Child

Labour Rehabilitation-cum-Welfare Society has been

established in the Union Territory and a separate

cell has been created in the Labour Department

to combat the prevalence of child labour in

hazardous industries and regulate their working

condit ions in non-hazardous occupations.

Notification of Government of India banning child

labour in domestic employment, hotels, dhabhas,

etc. is enforced rigorously.

20

23. Our Hon’ble Members may be aware

that the recent rain and cyclone during North

East Monsoon, caused severe hardship to the

public and affected the normal life. My Government

readily responded by providing relief assistance

of ` 1,000 to all the ration card-holders. My

Government started implementing the Rajiv Gandhi

Jana Shri Bima Yojana (Aam Admi) scheme

through LIC in order to provide relief to the

bereaved families as a part of social security.

Government of Puducherry has paid premium of

` 4.26 crores. 427 families have benefited during

this year. By this scheme, all the red card-holders

of the Union Territory of Puducherry will get

benefited.

24. As Hon’ble Members and Public at

large have been demanding for separate office

complex for Puducherry and Oulgaret Taluk

Offices, I am happy to inform that suitable

lands have been identified at Vannankulam and

Pakkamudaianpet for Puducherry and Oulgaret

21

Taluk Off ices and new premises are under

construction which will function shortly. Under

the Puducherry Land Grant Rules, 1975, Pattas

were distributed to 1,100 persons.

25. The online renewal of registration under

the Puducherry Value Added Tax, 2007 has been

introduced with effect from April 2010 onwards.

The service has not only benefited the Trade

and Industries in the Union Territory but also

benefited the dealers in other States to transact

the business with dealers in Puducherry in

seamless manner. Government of Puducherry is

the 4th in the country to provide online issue

of C-Form and F-Form to the business community.

26. A Tourist Police Unit was newly

inaugurated on 9-7-2010 at Beach Road,

Puducherry specifically to deal with matters of

incoming tourists and their grievances. Odeansalai

Police Station was inaugurated in the newly

constructed building in August, 2010. Government

of India had sanctioned an amount of ` 66 crores

for 2007-12 towards implementation of Police

Modernization Scheme in the Union Territory.

During the current year an amount of ` 13.20

crores has been released by the Government

of India. The Police Control Room will be installed

with Dial 100, CCTNS and Vehicle Tracking

System with an amount of ` 1.31 crore. As a

part of timely promotion to the police personnel,

my Government has absorbed 173 Home Guards

as Police Constables and they are presently

undergoing training. Further, Ministry of Home

Affairs, has accorded approval for creation of

625 posts under various police cadres during

the current financial year and we have initiated

action for recruitment.

27. I request the Hon’ble Members to have

a meaningful discussions on various developmental

issues. I wish you all success in your deliberations.

VA N A K K A M !

Address by

Dr. IQBAL S I N G H

His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor

To

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