Pondicherry: The founder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) Dr. S. Ramadoss has called upon the Pondicherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy to bring an ordinance to direct the privately managed self-financing medical and engineering colleges in the Union Territory to set apart 85 per cent of their total sanctioned strength for admission of students under government quota. Managements could fill the remaining 15 per cent of the seats, he added.

He was addressing newsmen here on Monday after releasing a handbook highlighting the various works and programmes, the PMK Member of Parliament from Pondicherry M. Ramadoss had implemented during the second successive year of his tenure in 2005-2006 for the development of Pondicherry. He also said there could be a critical analysis of the handbook by the media and feedback could also be given to the MP to make improvement in his works.

The PMK leader said that the ordinance and a follow up legislation were necessary as a permanent solution to relieve students of the agony they had been facing every year in getting guaranteed number of seats under government quota in privately run engineering and medical colleges here.

The Kerala Government had already shown the way by fixing 85 % of seats for Government-sponsored candidates in professional colleges. The Pondicherry Government should emulate it, he asserted.

Dr. Ramadoss also wanted an ordinance banning indiscriminate display of banners, cutouts or other types of advertisement materials in public and private places here.

He said during the recent elections there was a total ban on such display in private and public places.

Such a ban should be a permanent feature and necessary ordinance should be enforced to prevent indiscriminate display of cutouts and other types of advertisement materials.

Pondicherry was a beautiful place and its culture should be preserved, he said.

Where, however, the Government had already demarcated sites for display of the posters and other materials the number of days for such display should also be restricted to four during which necessary charges should be levied and collected from those erecting the banners or cutouts.

M. Ramadoss said that he had already requested the Pondicherry Chief Minister to have a resolution adopted unanimously in the forthcoming Assembly session here extending support to the Centre's move to bring in 27 per cent quota of seats in educational institutions for Other Backward Classes.

The MP said he had also requested the Pondicherry Government to take over the New Horizon Sugar Mills at Ariyur near here (which had become defunct now).

Keep people informed

The PMK chief stressed that members getting elected to Parliament should constantly keep their constituencies informed of what they had done for the welfare of the people. He highlighted the achievements of M. Ramadoss. He said the member was also instrumental for conduct of civic polls after a gap of 38 years by persuading the Union Panchayati Raj Minister in this regard, procuring clearance for the Rs 38 crore fishing harbour in Karaikal and getting the approval of the Centre for converting metre gauge railway track between Pondicherry and Villupuram into a broad gauge line involving an expenditure of Rs 100 crore and fast electrification of the track.

The other developmental works the MP had implemented with Centre's cooperation included construction of a bridge in T.R. Pattinam in Karaikal and also positive clearance by the Cabinet Committee to change the name of `Pondicherry' into `Puduchery'. The necessary Bill to recreate the Union Territory as `Puduchery' would be introduced soon in Parliament.

During the last year (2005-2006)'s session Parliament had a meeting for 79 days in all. Mr. Ramadoss had attended meetings on 76 out of the 79 days.

He had procured replies from the treasury for 78 questions. Construction of community halls, library premises, buildings for anganwadi centres, class rooms in government schools and various other structures from out of the funds available under the MP's Area Development scheme were some of the activities the MP had taken up.

The PMK legislators of Pondicherry R. Anandaraman and P. Arulmurugan and office bearers of the State committee N.G. Panneerselvam and Pon. Selvarasu were among those present.

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