Opposition turning blind eye to government initiatives: Puducherry Home Minister

Responding to the charges of non-performance and poor handling of law and order raised by former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Home Minister A. Namassivayam said the Opposition parties were adopting a strategy of turning a “blind eye to the positive developments,” initiated by the government in Puducherry. 

Responding to the charges of non-performance and poor handling of law and order raised by former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Home Minister A. Namassivayam said the Opposition parties were adopting a strategy of turning a “blind eye to the positive developments,” initiated by the government in Puducherry. 

Interacting with reporters on Thursday (January 11, 2024) night, the Home Minister said the Opposition parties were deliberately trying to spread a false narrative about the government.

The government has initiated several steps to improve the industrial climate, law and order situation and create more jobs. A request has been made by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), for a suitable plot of land to establish a G 20 International Industries Research Park in Puducherry. The French Consulate has made enquiries with the government on the availability of land for their companies to establish units. Similarly, 250 acres of land has been sought by firms involved in the manufacture of semi-conductors, he said.

Representatives of the World Trade Organisation have recently visited Puducherry and evinced interest in setting up a unit here. The present government has got sanction from the Centre to utilise 750 acres of land for industrial purpose and for auction of the land owned by AFT at Pattanur. After several years, the government has been able to disburse incentives to the tune of ₹25 crore to those who have set up new industrial units, “Those who are not seeing these developments are levelling false charges,” he said.

On the law and order front, the Home Minister said the police have been making regular seizures of narcotic substances and arresting those involved in the drug trade. Several anti-social elements have been arrested in the recent months, he said.

“Certain isolated incidents are taking place. The police are on the job to prevent even such isolated events. The law and order situation is much better now than at any other time [previously],” the Home Minister said.

Explaining the steps taken to create jobs, he said it was only on January 11 that the Chief Minister distributed offer letters to candidates who cleared the LDC and UDC examinations. On Saturday, January 13, the government will be issuing the notification for the recruitment of 300 Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) and 67 lecturers. The process to recruit 40 TGT (language), 127 construction helpers and 103 junior engineers in the Electricity Department is also ongoing, Mr Namassivayam, who also holds Education and Electricity portfolios said.