Decision on lockdown hinges on neighbouring states stand: CM

Puducherry, Apr 11 (): Territorial Chief Minister VNarayanasamy on Saturday said the Puducherry government woulddecide on extending the lockdown beyond April 14 only bytaking into account the stand of the governments ofneighbouring Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

In his message to mediapersons at the end of thecabinet meeting held after a video conference with the PrimeMinister, the Chief Minister said the constituents of theUnion Territory - Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam - areenclaves in the three neighbouring states.

He said the territorial government could not,therefore, take on its own any decision on the issue oflockdown as that depended on the stand of theneighbouringstates.

"We have considered this at the cabinet meeting andadopted a resolution that an appropriate decision will betaken and announced shortly," he said.

On the video conference the Prime Minister NarendraModi had with the Chief Ministers of several states earlierin the day, Naryanasamy said, "When Chief Ministers of statesand the National capital territory of New Delhi were invitedto air their views, I was not called to express my views."

He said he had already written a letter to the PrimeMinister seeking an opportunity at the video conference toenable him to speak on lockdown but he was not invited tospeak.

Narayanasamy said,"Had I been given an opportunity, Iwould have reiterated the territorial government's plea tothe Centre to grant an interim COVID-19 relief ofRs 300 crore to Puducherry, a grant of Rs 995 crore tostrengthen the infrastructural facilities in hospitals totreat COVID-19 patients in the Union Territory." Puducherry was already awaiting sanction of Rs 360 croreby the Centre to compensate the loss the Union Territorysuffered because of GST (goods and services tax). The Centre had also been repeatedly urged to earmark asgrant Rs 300 crore to Puducherry and Rs 1,800 crore forimplementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report forgovernment staff. "But no opportunity was given to me as I was not invitedto speak at the video conference," he said. He said with Puducherry and other regions of UnionTerritory closely intertwined with the bigger states in theneighbourhood, "our decision on the lockdown would bedependent on the other states' stand." The Chief Minister said the Health Minister MalladiKrishna Rao was away in his home constituency of Yanam andthe PWD Minister A Namassivayam could not be present as hewas indisposed. CorNVG NVG