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Housing scheme provisos go against secularism: BJP

Special Correspondent

Such an approach will violate spirit of secularism: Kesavalu

Pondicherry: R. Kesavalu, president of Pondicherry unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday registered the party's protest against Chief Minister N. Rangasamy's announcement in the budget on Monday that the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Centenary Housing Scheme to replace huts with concrete structures through the Rs.1 lakh subsidy would cover those on temple lands also.

In a statement, Mr. Kesavalu said while the spirit of the scheme to provide proper houses to the poor was a welcome measure, application of the scheme to confer pattas on families living on temple lands was injurious and against the spirit of secularism.

He said there was no specific mention about the white paper on utilisation of funds under tsunami rehabilitation and relief schemes here.

It was disappointing that there was no announcement of sops and incentives to promote industries in Pondicherry, he added. The contents of the budget were a mere repetition of announcements made in the past, he said. No schemes for the upliftment and economic well being of the poor and generation of job opportunities for educated youth had been announced.

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