The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Implement CMP, says CPI legislator

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Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

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Implement CMP, says CPI legislator

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, MARCH 29 . The Pondicherry Government should implement the Common Minimum Programme, which is the basis of the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre, as quickly as possible, the CPI has said.

Nara Kalainathan of the Communist Party of India secretary, participating in the debate today on the motion of thanks to the Address delivered by Lt. Governor in the Assembly on March 23, said his party would not remain a "silent spectator" if the CMP was not implemented.

Tsunami relief

He said an all-party meeting should be convened to review the implementation of schemes for tsunami-affected people and to chart out a roadmap to provide relief. Doubts had cropped up whether all the relief work and rehabilitation measures by the Army and non-governmental organisations had reached the victims.

He said that more stress must be laid on agriculture, as it was now a declining vocation in the Union Territory.

Steps should be taken to remove the differences in the numbers of families `below poverty line' as various departments had come up with different statistics. Effective steps should be taken to prevent the mushrooming of privately-managed educational institutions here. He said that his party opposed the proposal to have a free port in Pondicherry.

Quota for women

Another nominated member, Mary Theresa (vice-president of the Pondicherry Pradesh Congress Committee), sought 33 per cent reservation for women in the decision-making bodies. At least five Assembly constituencies should be set aside for women. Education should be made compulsory for all up to 10th standard. The 20-point programme framed by the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, should be revived, she said.

A.V. Sreedharan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister, who participated in the debate, said that the efforts of the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and officials for speedy implementation of relief works in tsunami hit villages deserved praise.

He condemned the "slackness" on the part of the department concerned in acquisition of land for the bypass road linking Mahe to Talaserry.

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