Date:19/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/19/stories/2006121903690300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Others

"Increase district plan panels' strength"

Special Correspondent

District Planning Committee Bill passed

Puducherry: The Assembly passed on Monday, by a voice vote, the Pondicherry District Planning Committee (Amendment) Bill tabled earlier by the Chief Minister N. Rangasamy. There was a plea by most of the legislators, who participated in the debate on the Bill, that the strength of each of the two committees, contemplated under the Bill (one each for Pondicherry and Karaikal districts), should be increased from the proposed 15 members.

R. Viswanathan (CPI) said that the state-level Planning Board functioning for years under the Lt Governor did not now include the elected legislators. He said that the Board should accommodate all the legislators. He said a sub-committees could be formed under the Act for Mahe and Yanam regions. He welcomed constitution of separate district-level planning committees for Puducherry and Karaikal.

Among those, who participated in the debate, included A M H Nazeem (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), A. Namassivayam (Congress), R. Anandaraman (PMK) A. Anbalagan (AIADMK) and K. Lakshminarayanan (PMC). They also sought the broad basing the jurisdiction of the committees to have general coverage of all subjects beyond the areas of municipal bodies.

The Chief Minister assured the members that all their views and suggestions would be taken into consideration and included in the Bill in future and sought members' cooperation for passing the Bill in its present form. With this assurance, the Bill was passed through a voice vote.