Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan addressing the 4th session of the 15th Puducherry Legislative Assembly on March 9, 2023 | photo credit: kumar ss
Puducherry’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) grew by 4.09% and per capita income increased by 3.51% in the current financial year as compared to the previous financial year, Lieutenant Governor (LG) Tamilisai Soundararajan informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. informed.
Delivering his customary speech on the opening day of the budget session, a Independent MLA Nehru alias Kuppusamy walks out On Dr. Tamilisai’s dual role as Governor of Telangana and LG of Puducherry, he said that the Union Territory has done well on the financial front in 2022-23.
He said that the GSDP of the Union Territory was pegged at ₹39,019 crore (current prices), which is 4.09% higher than the GSDP of ₹38,285 crore in 2021-22.
Independent MLA Nehru alias Kuppusamy staged a sit-in in the Vidhan Sabha on March 9, 2023, demanding the appointment of a permanent Lieutenant Governor for Puducherry. photo credit: kumar ss
Similarly, the per capita income increased from ₹2,14,913 (current prices) for the year 2021-22 to ₹2,22,451 (current prices) for the year 2022-23. The Lt Governor said that the per capita income has registered a growth rate of 3.51%.
“On the financial front, this government has done well during 2022-23. Due to the release of additional central assistance of Rs 1,400 crore, the budget outlay has increased to Rs 11,500 crore in 2022-23. GSDP is one of the key indicators to determine the health of the state’s economy,” said the Lt Governor.
Puducherry’s performance has been acknowledged in a study conducted by the Institute of Competitiveness for the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. The Union Territory was placed on top of the chart in the Social Progress Index with a score of 65.99%. The index is used for ranking water and sanitation, shelter, cleanliness, personal safety, freedom and choice, Dr. Tamilisai said in her address.
Listing various initiatives of the government, the Lt Governor said that the government has signed an agreement with NLC India Limited in 2022 for procurement of 100 MW power from the proposed 2400 MW power plant at Talibara in Odisha.
The Union Territory has purchased 100 MW of solar power from NTPC. The sector has also procured 90 MW of wind power from June, 2022. Agreement has been signed to purchase about 390.64 MW of renewable energy power. The Lt Governor said that the power procured from renewable energy sources would reach 600 MU by the end of 2023-24.
He also informed the House that projects worth Rs 150 crore had been approved by the Union government to augment drinking water supply and sewage management in all the four regions of the Union Territory.
“The government is fully committed to improving the socio-economic development of the Union Territory. Poverty will be eradicated, and resources will be allocated proportionately to all sectors to avoid regional imbalances,” he said.