The Communist Party of India has written to parliamentary party leaders of all national parties seeking their support to get the Centre repeal the Union Territories Act 1963 and bring a new law to make Lieutenant Governor a titular head on the lines of the Governors of other States.
The CPI, which played a key role in liberating Puducherry from the French regime, has sought the support of leaders of both Houses of Parliament to raise the issue of Statehood for the territory.
In a letter to leaders on August 2, CPI State secretary R. Viswanathan said the UT Act, 1963, had failed to satisfy the growing democratic aspirations of the present day society.
Pointing out some decisions of Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi, Mr. Viswanathan said the Act had been interpreted by Ms. Bedi to suggest that “she is the only person appointed to govern Puducherry as an administrator notwithstanding the elected legislature.”
“She presumes that Puducherry has no separate identity except as a Territory of the Union... She even went to the extent of ignoring the powers of the Speaker for administration of oath to the recently nominated legislators,” the letter said.
Urging the national parties to raise the issue of repealing the present Act in Parliament, the CPI said the Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution.
Seeking the support for Statehood, the letter said the territory had got enough experience in political democracy and Union Territory’s own tax revenue was 52% which is higher than those UTs which were given Statehood status.
In this context, the party pointed out that the UT was considered as a State when amendment to Article 366 of the Constitution was made for implementing GST.