‘It achieved 6.50% increase in tourist arrival despite the restrictions put in place for the pandemic’
‘It achieved 6.50% increase in tourist arrival despite the restrictions put in place for the pandemic’
The Union Territory’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) grew by 2.90% and per capita income by 0.42% in 2021-22, compared with the previous year, Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said here on Wednesday.
Delivering her customary address on the first day of the Budget session of the Assembly, amid a walkout by the principal Opposition DMK and its ally Congress, she said the GSDP had been estimated at ₹38,285 crore (the current price) for 2021-22, 2.90% higher than the previous year.
The Congress and DMK members, wearing black shirts as a mark of protest against the Centre for the delay in giving accord for the Budget, staged a protest when Dr. Soundararajan began her address. After a short while, they staged a walkout.
The per capita income increased from ₹2,15,583 (the current price) for 2020-21 to ₹2,16,495 (the current price) for 2021-22, showing a growth of 0.42%. In the last financial year, the government achieved a record high of 104% of the revenue target. Of last year’s total outlay of ₹10,414 crore, the government spent ₹9,793.29 crore. The budgetary spending was 94.04% during the last fiscal, Dr. Soundararajan said.
The Centre’s decision to give flexibility to the Union Territory in deciding on the source of borrowing without exceeding the limit had helped the administration avail itself of funds at a lower cost and to the maximum extent, she said.
The Union Territory, she said, was slowly coming out of the economic slowdown caused by COVID -19. It was able to achieve a 6.50% increase in tourist arrival despite the restrictions put in place for the pandemic.
Listing the achievements of the government, she said it was implementing schemes to improve the income of farmers and uplift the marginalised sections.
The Lt. Governor informed that the Union Territory of Puducherry stood first among the States and the other Union Territories in the All India Ranking for Health Wellness Centres. The government had transformed all the primary health centres, urban primary health centres and subsidiary health centres into health wellness centres, though the target was only 44 centres. The government had covered 90% of the population with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 71% with the second dose.
“The government is committed to providing education, health, clean drinking water and employment opportunity to people of the Union Territory and ensuring their socio-economic development,” she said.
