AINRC legislators urge Speaker to convene special assembly session for Pondy statehood

Puducherry, Jul 9 (PTI) Seven legislators of the ruling AINRC called on Puducherry Assembly Speaker R Selvam at his office on Wednesday and submitted a joint memorandum urging him to convene a special session of the territorial assembly to adopt a resolution pressing the Centre to grant statehood to Puducherry.

According to an AINRC source, the legislators emphasised to the Speaker the "urgent need for statehood to Puducherry", which has been a Union Territory since the merger with the Indian Union in 1962.

Every ministry elected through polls has been raising the demand for statehood. In fact, more than 13 resolutions were adopted on the floor of the Assembly urging the Centre to concede the demand for statehood. In the present constitutional status of Puducherry being a Union Territory, the elected government has no powers to take decisions independently without the nod of the Lt Governor.

The AINRC is heading the coalition government here now.

The seven MLAs who met the Speaker today included PWD Minister, the Deputy Speaker P Rajavelu, Government whip A K D Arumugham, K P S Ramesh and R Lakshmikanthan.

PTI COR ROH