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Pondy government against UGC abolition: CM
Replying to a question raised by the Leader of the Opposition Anbazhagan (AIADMK) during zero hour in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said, “We will not accept the plan to set up the ‘Higher Education Commission of India’ in the place of the UGC.”
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Puducherry
“The UGC has distinguished itself well as an independent body helping universities and the colleges.
There is no need for any new panel,” he said, adding that a detailed letter would be forwarded to the Union HRD Ministry in this regard.
Narayanasamy said the Centre has been depriving the states of their rights by some measure or the other.
“The UGC has been functioning well as an independent authority and the Centre cannot intervene in its functioning. The proposed Higher Education Commission would sanction funds according to the whims and fancies of the Centre, so the territorial government is opposed to the proposal,” the Chief Minister noted.
Education Minister R Kamalakannan also said the territorial government would never accept any move to replace the UGC.
“We oppose it,” he said.
Earlier, Narayanasamy had said his government would bring during the next Assembly session a Bill allotting 50 per cent of seats in private medical colleges here for local students.
This led to the AIADMK staging a walkout, as the party legislator Anbazhagan said any delay in the tabling of the Bill would only aggravate sufferings of the students, and took strong exception to the Chief Minister’s statement that the Bill would be tabled only in the next session.
“We will bring in the Bill in the next session of the House as Puducherry being a Union Territory has to fulfil certain practical formalities before a legislation is enacted,” the Chief Minister said.
When the Chief Minister said the Bill could be tabled only in the next session, all the four AIADMK legislators trooped out of the house.
Narayanasamy to lead team to meet PM on July 20
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Monday said he will lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi on July 20 to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek more powers for Puducherry.
Participating in the discussion on demand for grants for various departments, members irrespective of their party affiliation demanded that a person knowing Tamil language be appointed as the district Collector here.
Intervening, Welfare Minister Kandasamy said that it is an attack on the rights of the union territory and wondered why the Chief Minister is silent on the issue. He said, even though all-party meetings were held several times, Puducherry was not being respected and if adequate power is not there and the Chief Minister should adjourn the house and go to New Delhi.
Replying to this, Chief Minister V Narayansamy said that due to peculiar circumstance, an official who could handle Tamil could not be appointed as the district Collector and for this, more powers are required. He said a delegation comprising of all legislators and all party leaders under him would go to New Delhi on July 20 to meet the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.
Nominated BJP MLAs’ bid to enter House foiled
The three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominated members to the territorial Assembly made a vain attempt to enter the assembly on Monday.
With the Supreme Court not granting a stay to the Madras High Court judgement that the nomination of the three BJP activists to the territorial assembly stood valid, BJP state president and one among the nominated member Saminathan had on Sunday announced that they would enter the assembly on Monday.
The nominated members have already submitted a copy of the observation by the apex court and a memorandum seeking to admit them in the house to the Speaker, the Assembly Secretary, the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor.
Accordingly, the three nominated members came to the Assembly on Monday.
However, they were blocked by the watch and the ward staff of the house at the main entrance.
While the BJP members and their supporters argued with the security staff, they said that they are merely following instructions from the Speaker to allow only the elected members into the Assembly and they are bound to abide this order only.
Following some argument between both the parties, the three members left the place.
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