Replying to a question from Independent member Ramachandran from Mahe, Kamalakannan said the power tariff in the UT has been fixed by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Authority (JERA).

He said the government was purchasing power for Rs 3.84 a unit and was sell it for Rs 5.27 a unit. He further said that the power tariff in Puducherry was less compared to the rate in other Southern states and made a comparison with the power tariff in Kerala.

The member pointed out that the power tariff was almost catching up with that in Kerala and demanded some concession to the poor, who consume up to 200 units per month.

The Minister said that since the Central government has reduced the grants to the UT, the territorial administration would have to enhance power tariff to mobilize revenue.

Replying to a special mention on noon meal scheme tabled by AIADMK member A Anbazhagan during zero hour, Education minister Kamalakannan allayed fears of the members on the quality of food being supplied to students and the job security to the government employees already engaged in it.

Kamalakannan told the assembly that the ‘Akshaya Patra Foundation’ with which the government had signed an MoU to provide noon meal was a voluntary organisation and functioning on a non-profit basis.

The Minister said the foundation was supplying quality noon meal to 17 lakh students in 12 states and the MoU was signed after ascertaining that the system of noon meal supply would be improved.

Further the exchequer could save Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore annually, Kamalakannan said, adding that the government would ensure job security to the employees who were already engaged by the administration.

He said the foundation has also decided to modernise the central kitchen here at a cost of Rs 13 crore, he added.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Friday came to the aid of a cabinet colleague in the assembly by translating a question from English. When Independent member N Ramachandran from Mahe asked a question in English, Narayanasamy translated it for social welfare minister M Kandasamy. Ramachandran, whose

mother tongue is Malayalam, is not fluent in Tamil and used to address in the House in English. He wanted to know the steps taken by the government to fill vacancies in the Social Welfare Department in Mahe. Kandasamy said the government would take steps to fill the vacancies.

Opposition AIADMK member A Anbalagan reminded the Chief Minister that he had a few months ago translated into Tamil, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi’s address at a literary festival here.

The government would take steps to curb the burglaries in the UT, CM V Narayanasamy told the assembly on Friday.

Replying to a special mention tabled by DMK member R Siva during the zero hour, Narayanasamy said several crimes were reported from Muthialpet and Kamaraj Nagar constituencies three months back and that they were being committed by persons from other states. Criminals from other states used to visit Puducherry and after identifying the locked houses, they will break into them between 2 am and 4 am.

Such crimes were happening after the beat police finish the patrolling around 1 am, he said. He recalled that he had provided ten vehicles to the police department when he was a member of the Parliament.