The Puducherry government has decided to increase the procurement price of milk from ₹34 a litre to ₹37 a litre.
Addressing a press conference with Speaker R. Selvam and Cabinet colleagues, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said dairy farmers would be given ₹3 more per litre of milk they produced. The government had also decided to disburse the 5% incentive to dairy farmers on a monthly basis. Till now, the incentive was provided only annually, he said.
However, the Chief Minister did not clarify on any commensurate change in the selling price of milk. To repeated queries, he said it would be disclosed at the appropriate time.
The Chief Minister also announced the government’s decision to distribute Pongal gifts worth ₹470 each to ration cardholders. The gifts would be delivered through Anganwadi workers, he added.
A sum of ₹2,400 would be credited to the bank accounts of red ration cardholders for four months of free rice. Similarly, ₹1,800 would be credited to the accounts of yellow ration cardholders. The government would incur an expenditure of ₹17.50 crore for providing Pongal gifts and ₹67 crore for free rice.
A sum of ₹1,000 would be credited to the bank accounts of red ration cardholders for cloth. The Social Welfare Department had started the process of providing ₹1,000 per month to women who were not eligible for any other financial assistance from the government. As per rough estimates, around 13,000 women would be eligible for the scheme in the Union Territory, he added.
Statehood issue
Reiterating the demand for Statehood, the Chief Minister said the territorial administration would take all necessary steps to prevail upon the Union government to provide the status. “We have been requesting the Centre to accord Statehood to Puducherry, and will continue to do so. The government is planning to take a delegation of legislators and organisations to meet the Prime Minister to press for Statehood. It is our endeavour to get all the rights due to the elected government,” he added.
The Chief Minister also distributed promotion orders to around 130 mechanics working in the Public Works Department. The government had already issued promotion orders to around 350 staff of the PWD, he said, adding that steps were being taken to fill all departmental vacancies.
