However, he did not elaborate on what reforms would be brought about.?

Responding to views expressed by members in the Assembly during the debate on demands for grants to departments, the Chief Minister said, "Without exception all the members who spoke during the debate highlighted the hurdles" caused by officials choking implementation of the schemes.?

Stating that the government was in a predicament about the situation, he said administrative reforms were much needed. "Our intention is to ensure that Puducherry emerges as a fully developed Union Territory. For this we have to effect certain reforms," he added. He did not however elaborate on what reforms would be made in the administration.?

Rangasamy said the government had finalised the blueprint for a new building for the Assembly. "The necessary work, including laying of the foundation of the palatial Assembly premises, would be done soon," he said.?

The Chief Minister also spoke about the workers and employees in various departments who had been terminated in the previous regime, and said they would be reinstated. The government planned to fill as many as 10,000 vacancies in the departments, he added.?

The birth anniversaries and memorial days of former Prime Minister A B Vajypaee, former Chief Ministers of Tamilnadu M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa and a former freedom fighter of Puducherry Chellan Naicker would be observed officially in Puducherry, Rangasamy told the Assembly.?

He also announced that a monthly assistance now paid to senior journalists would be raised from the present Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.

Speaking about government employees, particularly those attached to public sector undertakings and institutions, the CM said they should discharge their work "with a sense of dedication" and also ensure that the undertakings turned out to be profitable. "We are conceding the demands presented by the workers and at the same time the workers on their part should ensure dedicated discharge of their work," he said.?

The House passed by voice vote the Appropriation Bill 2023 tabled by the Chief Minister for Rs 11,600 crores from and out of the Consolidated Fund of the Union Territory of Puducherry for the fiscal 2023-2024.

Earlier Speaker R Selvam made an obituary reference to the death of former reporter of a Tamil daily, Mohanraj.?

Mohanraj (65) died of heart attack when he was taking a stroll on the beach road here last night. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

-With PTI Input