Puducherry enhances festival clothes allowance for members of Adi Dravidar community

Puducherry govt. increases financial assistance to Adi Dravidar community for Deepavali & Pongal from ₹500 to ₹1,000. CM Rangasamy led Liberation Day celebrations at Gandhi Thidal. Per capita income increased from ₹2.15L to ₹2.22L. Similar events held in UT's enclaves of Karaikal, Yanam & Mahe.

The government has decided to increase financial assistance provided to members of the Adi Dravidar community to buy outfits during Deepavali and Pongal festivals, from the existing ₹500 to ₹1,000, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said on Wednesday.

Making the announcement while participating in the Puducherry Liberation Day celebrations held at Gandhi Thidal, the Chief Minister said so far, an amount of ₹ 500 was given to those above 18 years of age belonging to the Adi Dravidar community to buy dresses/outfits during both festivals. The amount has now been enhanced to ₹1,000, the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Rangasamy led the celebrations at the Gandhi Thidal. On his arrival for the event, he was given a guard of honour. After unfurling the national flag, various contingents of the territorial police, National Cadet Corps (NCC) and school students participated in a march. Various cultural programmes were also held.

The government was committed to implementing all welfare and development programmes, Mr. Rangasamy said. The Union government has included Puducherry for funding under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme to improve tourism infrastructure. The government in the process of developing land in Manapet through a Public Private Partnership mode, for tourism promotion, he said in his address.

The per capita income of the Union Territory increased from ₹2,14, 913 in 2021-2022 to ₹2, 22,451 in 2022-23. The per capita income has registered a growth rate of 3. 51 % during this period, the CM said. The individual income is expected to go up further to ₹2, 92, 223 in 2023-24, he added.

Speaker R. Selvam, Deputy Speaker Rajavelou, Minister for Civil Supplies A. K Sai J Saravanan Kumar, legislators and senior officials participated in the programme at Gandhi Thidal.

Liberation Day was celebrated with fanfare in all the four regions of the Union Territory. It was on November 1 that the then French establishments of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam merged de facto with the Indian union, bidding farewell to the French regime.