The Hindu : Short-duration permits for vehicles soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Pondicherry

Short-duration permits for vehicles soon

By S. Nadarajan

Pondicherry April 29. The Government will soon amend the Pondicherry Motor Vehicle Taxation Act to grant temporary permit for a day or two to tourist vehicles coming to the Union Territory from other States, the Local Administration and Transport Minister, A. Elumalai has said.

Replying to a debate on demand for grants to Transport and a few other Departments in the Assembly today, Mr. Elumalai said hitherto temporary permits were issued for a period of seven days or more than seven days but not exceeding 30 days. There were representations from operators of tourist vehicles from other States to grant temporary permit for a short stay of a day or two.

Mr. Elumalai said that in view of the heavy workload on the Department of Local Administration, the department would be bifurcated into Municipal Administration and Panchayat Administration departments. Each of these new departments would have a separate Director.

The Minister said that a new insurance scheme for sanitary employees engaged on daily wage payment system in the municipal bodies would be introduced as part of amelioration of the welfare of the employees and their families. The premium for the insurance cover would be borne by the concerned municipal bodies.

A Quality Control unit would be formed to assess the standard of work done by civic bodies.

An estimated Rs. 30 crores worth of developmental works have been taken up every year by the civic bodies.

As certificates had to be prepared in French relating to birth, death or registration of marriage in the municipal bodies for certain specific sections of people the department would appoint a Junior Assistant proficient in French language in each of the commune panchayats and two such staff in each of the five municipalities, he added.

Each of the worker in the municipal bodies engaged on daily wage payment system would be paid an increased pay of Rs. 110 instead of Rs. 90 a day with effect from from May 1 this year.

Mr. Elumalai said under the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana canals would be rehabilitated and small tanks would be desilted and these measures would generate 2.50 lakh mandays.

Pension scheme for the aged fishermen would be introduced from this year. The fishermen who were above sixty years would be granted Rs 500 a month as monthly pension.

A sum of Rs 10,000 would be given to a fisherman family to meet part of expenditure of marriage function for a girl in the family. This would be restricted to only one girl in a family.

Compounding entertainment tax

The Minister said that the existing municipal legislations provided for levy of a 10 per cent entertainment tax on cable television operators. But there were certain practical difficulties for assessment, collection or control of tax evasion.

To overcome the difficulties and also to ensure collection of the tax at the beginning of the financial year compounding tax system would be introduced shortly.

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