The Hindu : Front Page : Rangasamy presents Rs. 2, 686-crore tax free budget

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 01, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Rangasamy presents Rs. 2, 686-crore tax free budget

S. Nadarajan

Pondicherry to modernise police force, step up coastal security

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy presenting the budget on Monday.

Pondicherry: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy told the Assembly on Monday that a marine police station would be established in Karaikal to step up maritime surveillance and "to monitor infiltration by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other outfits." Presenting a Rs. 2,686 crore tax-free budget for 2006-2007, the Chief Minister said the Union Home Ministry had sanctioned Rs. 66 crore for modernisation of the Pondicherry police. The Centre had also approved a Rs 544.50-lakh plan for coastal security. The Government will recruit 330 Home Guards.

The Chief Minister said a revised Information Technology policy would be brought out to cover IT-enabled services and to promote Pondicherry as a destination for establishing software development centres.

The Government will sanction 25 per cent of investments by entrepreneurs for construction of luxury hotels and other tourism-related projects as subsidy, subject to a maximum of Rs 1 crore. Mr. Rangasamy announced 10,000 poor families would be provided Rs. 1 lakh each (against Rs 50,000 given so far) for converting their huts into concrete structures under the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Centenary Housing scheme.

With ports coming up in Pondicherry and Karaikal regions, as well as a special economic zone, around 80,000 job opportunities would be created, he said. An unemployment allowance would be given to educated unemployed youth. The other highlights of the budget are proposals to construct a new Assembly complex at a cost of Rs 154 crore in Thattanchavady, the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Manimandapam at a cost of Rs 22 crore, waiver of Rs 27.45 crore in farm loans and interest due from 8,415 farmers as on March 31 to the State cooperative banks and Land Development bank, distribution of free colour TV sets to poor families, full reimbursement of fees paid by students joining professional colleges under government quota and distribution of free LPG connections and stoves to poor families.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page