The government has decided to provide financial assistance of ₹50,000 to pilgrims interested in participating in the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the Chief Minister said the assistance would be given to the pilgrims from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The scheme would operate on the lines of the Haj subsidy, he said.
On his recent visit to New Delhi, Mr. Narayanasamy said he, along with cabinet colleagues, had met Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy and requested him to re-consider the demand for according statehood for the U.T.
The request was made after Mr. Reddy recently informed the Lok Sabha about Centre’s decision not to accord Statehood for the time being, he said.
Hospital expansion
Union Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar would visit Puducherry by end of next month to lay the foundation for expansion of ESI hospital at Gorimedu.
The administration had provided 5.5 acres of land to ESI for constructing a super speciality hospital.
The Union Ministry of Labour would bear entire cost for construction of the hospital, he said. Earlier in the day, a CPI delegation had called on the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum seeking early payment of salaries to employees working in public sector undertakings and societies.