: Territorial Chief Minister V
Narayanasamy on Saturday said the Puducherry government would decide on extending the lockdown beyond April 14 only by taking into account the stand of the governments of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
In his message to mediapersons at the end of the cabinet meeting held after a video conference with the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said the constituents of the Union Territory - Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam - are enclaves in the three neighbouring states.
He said the territorial government could not, therefore, take on its own any decision on the issue of lockdown as that depended on the stand of theneighbouring states.
"We have considered this at the cabinet meeting and adopted a resolution that an appropriate decision will be taken and announced shortly," he said.
On the video conference the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with the Chief Ministers of several states earlier in the day, Naryanasamy said, "When Chief Ministers of states and the National capital territory of New Delhi were invited to air their views, I was not called to express my views."
He said he had already written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking an opportunity at the video conference to enable him to speak on lockdown but he was not invited to speak.
Narayanasamy said,"Had I been given an opportunity, I would have reiterated the territorial government's plea to the Centre to grant an interim COVID-19 relief of Rs 300 crore to Puducherry, a grant of Rs 995 crore to strengthen the infrastructural facilities in hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients in the Union Territory."
Puducherry was already awaiting sanction of Rs 360 crore by the Centre to compensate the loss the Union Territory suffered because of GST (goods and services tax).
The Centre had also been repeatedly urged to earmark as grant Rs 300 crore to Puducherry and Rs 1,800 crore for implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report for government staff.
"But no opportunity was given to me as I was not invited to speak at the video conference," he said.
He said with Puducherry and other regions of Union Territory closely intertwined with the bigger states in the neighbourhood, "our decision on the lockdown would be dependent on the other states' stand."
The Chief Minister said the Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao was away in his home constituency of Yanam and the PWD Minister A Namassivayam could not be present as he was indisposed.
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