Pondy government takes financial assistance to doorsteps

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy introduced a scheme at Orleanpet constituency on Wednesday. According to sources, when Narayanasamy had a discussion with the bank authorities in implementing the scheme, the bank authorities agreed to execute the scheme subject to the payment of Rs 20 per beneficiary. Accordingly, the government has agreed to pay the amount and the bank staff would deliver the financial assistance at the residence of the beneficiaries. 

This is the first of its kind in the country, the sources said, adding that it was now introduced at Orleanpet constituency and would be implemented throughout the UT soon. If necessary the social welfare and Anganwadi workers would also be pressed into service to expedite the scheme, the sources said and added that 1.40 lakh persons would be benefited from it.

Meanwhile, Puducherry government has decided to provide Rs 2,950 for a ton of sugar cane being supplied to the Lingareddippalayam cooperative sugar mills for the year 2015-16. 

A decision to this effect was taken at a tripartite committee meeting held here on Wednesday under the Chairmanship of Minister for Cooperation M Kandasamy in the presence of Education Minister Kamalakannan, according to official sources. 

Already a sum of Rs 2,750 had been paid for a ton of sugarcane and it was decided in the meeting to enhance it by Rs 200 a ton for the same supplied in 2015-16. It was also decided to provide a sum of Rs 10,000 as input subsidy for an acre of cane cultivation. 

Legislator T P R Selvam, Secretary (Cooperation) Arun Desai, Dr A Ramamoorthy, Director, Agriculture, Dr A S Sivakumar, Registrar of cooperative societies, representatives of mill management and cane growers had attended the meeting. 

Also, a comprehensive action plan highlighting the preparedness of various government departments in Puducherry to rise to any exigency during the forthcoming monsoon was launched here on Thursday. 

District Collector Satyendra Singh Durasawat told reporters here that from the past experience, the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management have come up with an action plan. Thirty two shelters would be in place for accommodating people in case their residential pockets are inundated. Volunteers from the NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra, NCC and personnel of Indian Coast Guard would be associated with the ground level work, he said.

A mock drill as to how people and the machinery should act in case of an emergency would be held in one of the villages on October 8. He further said, task forces had been constituted for each revenue blocks to respond to calls for help. 

Control rooms with the toll free number 1070/1077 would also be available for the people to report any incident. The health, local administration and PWD departments would also be associated with the work, he added.