Puducherry: Union home minister Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen on strengthening Union territories and the union govt was committed to development of Puducherry.Conferring the President’s Colours upon the Puducherry police on Sunday, Shah said successive Union govts had provided only ₹3,500 crore to Puducherry for developmental works from 1950 to 2014. On the other hand, Modi govt has provided ₹13,762 crore for the development of Puducherry in the last 12 years, which is nearly four times the amount provided earlier, Shah said.He said that over the past nine years, the Union govt has also facilitated industrial investments worth ₹39,000 crore in Puducherry. The four-laning of National Highway 332-A (Marakanam-Puducherry section) has been undertaken at a cost of ₹2,200 crore, he added. Shah also said that the Union govt has constructed an extended runway for the airport, approximately 3,400 metres long and 45 metres wide.On the reforms brought by the BJP govt, Shah said the three new criminal laws introduced to replace the British-era laws, are built on three pillars: technology, timeline and trust. Shah said these new laws are not merely punitive in nature; rather, their objective was to ensure justice for citizens in a technology-enabled and time-bound manner.Lauding the Puducherry police department, he said the conferment of the President’s Colours upon the Puducherry police is a testament to the bravery, hard work and dedication of the force. Puducherry police has received this prestigious honour in recognition of its hard work, valour, service and dedication, he said.Shah said despite having remained under French rule for a long period, Puducherry has preserved its Indian identity and spiritual vitality. Puducherry is a living symbol of the spiritual and cultural consciousness of South India.Lieutenant governor K Kailashnathan said the Puducherry police force has achieved national distinction across key parameters, including successful rollout and execution of the new laws. He expressed gratitude to Shah for sanctioning the 2nd IRBn for Puducherry, which is expected to generate employment opportunities for over 1,000 local youth.Chief minister N Rangasamy said despite Puducherry’s smaller geographic size, it shines as a premier destination known for its spiritual heritage and thriving tourism industry. He attributed the year-on-year surge in domestic and international tourists directly to the peaceful atmosphere created by the diligent policing of the force.
