COVID-19 spreading to rural areas of Puducherry, says CM

Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Saturday expressed concern over the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas of the Union Territory. He told reporters that "The menace of COVID-19 has of late started to affect the rural areas, too, in the Union Territory."

Therefore, he said, people should be extra cautious and careful to protect themselves against the pandemic. He said the territorial administration was in an embarrassing situation as the union territory was already in a poor financial position to face the challenges posed by COVID-19. The chief minister elaborated on the Centre`s allocation of Rs 247.75 croreas compensation for the implementation of the GST (goods and services tax), saying the sum was a payment the union territory was entitled to.

"We have utilised the allocation to settle the loan the territorial government had borrowed from the Reserve Bank of India to pay the salaries and pension of government staff and retired officials for the month of May," he said. Narayanasamy said Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi was trying to create an illusion over the Centre`s allocation of the funds without projecting the fact of borrowing money from the apex bank.

"We are entitled to get the compensation and we have used it to repay the loan from the bank," he said. He said the managements of temples, churches and mosques had been asked to strictly follow the norms when the places of worship reopen on June 8.

"There should be no distribution of any'prasadam', sacred ash or 'kumkum' and also no playing of nadaswaram in the temples. Besides, the devotees should not touch each other. The priests should also not touch any of the devotees and there should be social distancing and wearing of masks," he said.

Similarly, the churches should adhere to the norms of social distancing and wearing of masks. People turning up for masses should leave their chappals outside the churches and avoid crowding, he said. Mosques too have been instructed to follow the conditions and all places of worship should be cleaned with disinfectants after the prayers and other rituals are over, he added.

Referring to the territorial budget session, he said a detailed report had been sent to the Centre projecting the features of the budget for the fiscal 2020-2021. "Once the approval of the Centre, we shall go ahead with formal presentation of the budget in the Assembly," he said.

He said Deputy Speaker of the assembly, N R Bhalan had urged him earlier in the day to earmark funds for essential commodities to residents in the containment zones. `"We will use the money available under the Chief Minister's Relief Fund as the Disaster Management Relief Fund could not be utilised for the purpose," he added.