Lt Guv, CM greet people on eve of 70th Liberation Day of Puducherry

Puducherry: Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister N Rangasamy greeted people of the Union Territory on the eve of 70th Liberation Day of Puducherry on Tuesday.

In her message, Soundararajan said with the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the cooperation of the Centre, Puducherry has been making rapid progress in every field.

She called on the people to put in efforts to ensure that Puducherry emerged as 'Best Puducherry'.

Tamilisai further said, "it is the duty of everyone to ensure that Puducherry progressed without break to promote the wellbeing of every section of people and to ensure that peace, progress and unity were nurtured without break."

Chief Minister N Rangasamy said welfare of the people is the only aim of his administration and several schemes for wellbeing of people were implemented and many more were in the pipeline.

He said he was glad to find that Puducherry was far ahead of other states in ameliorating the lot of the people. "I seek the continued support and cooperation of the people to make a well-developed Union Territory," the Chief Minister said.

Rangasamy would unfurl the tricolour at the Gandhi Thidal here tomorrow (Wednesday) to mark the celebration of the 70thliberation day of Puducherry.

Puducherry along with Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions became free de facto on November 1, 1954 as a result of the referendum held on October 18 that year at Kizhoor near Puducherry.

A majority of those who voted in the referendum expressed their support for the merger of French establishments in India with the Indian Union.

A treaty of cession was signed between the then French and Indian governments liberating de facto Puducherry and other three regions from the foreign rule.

The de facto merger was followed by de jure transfer of power in August 1962 after the French parliament ratified the treaty.

Puducherry has been a Union Territory since then although the demand for statehood has been made in fits and starts by political parties here.

Resolutions were adopted in the Legislative Assembly and on several occasions seeking sanction of statehood to Puducherry. But, the Centre is yet to respond to the plea.