The Hindu : Karaikal drought may dominate Assembly session

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Pondicherry

Karaikal drought may dominate Assembly session

By Our Staff Reporter

Pondicherry Oct. 15. The brief winter session of the Pondicherry Assembly will begin tomorrow. This is the second session for the Rangasamy-led Congress Government which came into existence in October last.

The Government encounters several problems such as the unexpected disruption in the implementation the free breakfast scheme, an unprecedented drought situation in Karaikal, the non-availability of water from the Cauvery system, financial crunch following the imposition of uniform rate of taxes, no-holds-barred agitations by employees and workers of various departments and organisations and difficulty in implementing the recommendations of the Special Industrial Tribunal for workers of the government-owned AFT Mills.

The session is likely to last just two days.

DMK to focus farmers' plight

The convener of the DMK and Opposition leader, R. V. Janakiraman, said his party would focus the hardship faced by farmers in Karaikal, through call attention and adjournment motions during the session.

Mr. Janakiraman said in a communication today his party's motions would urge the Karnataka government to release water in keeping with the Supreme Court verdict. The Tamil Nadu government should also release Cauvery water to Karaikal on a pro-rata basis.

The permission of the Chair had also been sought to seek the government's announcement of date for the civic polls and the issue would be discussed at the session.

Implementation of the recommendations of the tribunal on revision of wages of AFT Mill workers, 33 per cent reservation for the Backward Classes, payment of Rs. 1000 to farmers for a ton of sugarcane and clarification on property taxes fixed by the civic authorities would be other issues the party would take up.

BJP to seek anti-conversion law

A. M. Krishanmoorthy, lone BJP legislator in the House, said today he would table six call attention motions seeking anti-conversion legislation, fixing of Rs 1000 as price for a ton of cane supplied by farmers to the local sugar mills, revision of wages of the AFT Mill workers, welfare board for construction workers and revocation of the `heavy' property tax in Oulgaret Municipality.

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