Opposition AIADMK seeks special Assembly session in Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY: The opposition AIADMK today urged the assembly Speaker V Vaithilingam to convene an urgent special session to discuss the "unprecedented" fiscal crisis faced by the territorial government.

Talking to reporters here, the party legislature wing leader A Anbalagan said that he had submitted a letter to the speaker seeking to convene a special session of the assembly.

The government should enlist the views of elected representatives and get their suggestions to tackle the financial crisis faced by the government at present, he said.

Anbalgan said that already Welfare Minister M Kandasamy had expressed apprehension that it would be difficult for the government to disburse salaries to the government staff next month in view of the financial crunch.

He said the Lt Governor Kiran Bedi had unveiled a slew of austerity measures, including a ban on the business class air travel by officers.

Asked what step he would take in case the speaker did not respond to his request, Anbalagan said that the party leaders would meet Bedi and urge her to invoke the statutory provisions and ensure convening of the special session of the House as the fiscal crisis is too grim to be ignored.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had on December nine charged the Centre with "letting down" the Union Territory by not extending financial assistance to the territorial government to tide over its current fiscal crisis.

There were several commitments arising out of the implementation of the Central Pay Commission for the staff and workers in Puducherry, he had said.

Bedi had yesterday banned business class air travel by officials in view of "severe financial constraints" faced by the territorial administration.

The former IPS officer stated that various measures were finalised at a meeting to overcome the financial constraints.