‘Puducherry govt failed to cooperate with Centre’

In his first comments on the fall of the Congress government in Puducherry, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the people were happy over the development. He accused the erstwhile Congress government of failing to cooperate with the Central government in implementing schemes and utilisation of funds for the Union Territor y. "I came here three years ago. Now, I could see more happiness among the people because of two reasons -- one, due to the development works I inaugurated today and the second, the Congress government has been removed," the PM said at a public meeting. Earlier, at an official function, he launched various projects for the region. Modi said that the people of Puducherry had voted for the Congress in 2016 with "lots of hopes and aspirations" but the Congress leaders in the region were only tr ying to please the party high command in New Delhi.

The Prime Minister was confident that an NDA government would be put in place in Puducherry af ter the coming Assembly elections. "Such a government will be the people's government and the high command will be the people. I want to see Puducherry the BEST (business hub, education hub, spiritual hub and tourism hub," he said.