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AIADMK welcomes Delimitation Commission proposals

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, SEPT. 8. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has welcomed the proposals of the Delimitation Commission to redraw the territorial maps of the Assembly constituencies here proposing 23 segments in the Pondicherry region, five in Karaikal and one each in Mahe and Yanam.

Addressing a press conference here today, the party State committee secretary, A. Anbalagan, said that it was surprising to see the ruling Congress opposing the proposals of the Commission though the Commission was doing its job in line with the statutory provisions. He said that there might be need for readjustment of municipal wards and requested the Commission to concede the plea for such readjustment. But basically delimitation of constituencies was a welcome move, he said.

The AIADMK leader said that his party had been supporting statehood for Pondicherry. In fact way back in 1998, the then Central Government had promised to confer Statehood on Pondicherry in Parliament in response to the representations made by the AIADMK leader, Jayalalithaa.

Mr. Anbalagan said that it was a matter of concern that the Union Territory Administration had not included representatives of the AIADMK in the delegation led by the Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, to meet the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and others to press Statehood for Pondicherry. The delegation is now in Delhi to make representation for statehood.

Demand justified

The Jananayaga Munnetra Kazhagam founder leader S Jagathratchagan told newsmen here today that Pondicherry should be sanctioned full Statehood.

He said development would not be set back if Pondicherry, now a Union Territory, became a State.

Asserting that the Pondicherry government should announce reservations for the Most Backward Classes in jobs here, he said that the party would strive hard for the welfare of the Tamils and Tamil Nadu's development.

Mr. Jagathratchagan welcomed the move of the Delimitation Commission to redraw the territorial boundaries of Assembly constituencies in Pondicherry.

Council opposes plea

The Vice president of Pondicherry unit of the All India Consumer Council, S.Vaithianathan, has called upon the political parties in the Union Territory to refrain from pressing Statehood for Pondicherry, as change in the status would only cause fiscal problems and financial crisis for the Government.

In a release today Vaithianathan said that Statehood would make Pondicherry economically unviable and referred to the observation of the Comptroller and Auditor General in the Report relating to Pondicherry for the year ended March 31, 2003.

The Report, he said, stated that Pondicherry Government was entirely dependent on the Government of India grants.

Referring to the move for special category status for Pondicherry Vaithianathan said that Pondicherry did not qualify for this under any condition.

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