Sun Nov 03 17:43:13 UTC 2024: ## CPI Criticizes Puducherry CM’s Liberation Day Address, Calling It “Rhetoric Over Reality”
**Puducherry, November 3, 2024:** The Communist Party of India (CPI) has sharply criticized Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s Liberation Day address, stating that it was filled with rhetoric and failed to reflect the actual situation on the ground.
In a statement, CPI Secretary A.M. Saleem argued that despite the CM’s claims of direct benefit transfers to beneficiaries of 142 welfare schemes, there has been no noticeable improvement in their living conditions.
Saleem further dismissed the CM’s claims about reopening ration shops and distributing rice and sugar as a “metaphorical attempt to hide a pumpkin in a fistful of rice.” He also criticized the CM’s claims about upgrades to Adi Dravidar student welfare hostels, stating that a visit to the hostels would reveal their poor conditions, including inadequate sanitation and drinking water facilities.
Regarding the CM’s credit-taking for Puducherry’s Ministry of Jal Shakti award for excellence in water management, Saleem urged him to inspect the drinking water quality in areas like Nellithoppu and Orleanpet.
The CPI leader also expressed skepticism about the CM’s claims regarding the development of the fishing harbor and the road overbridge across the Uppanar Canal.
Finally, Saleem pointed out the CM’s frequent refrain of awaiting central approval for a ₹4,750 crore loan from the Asian Development Bank for infrastructure projects, highlighting the government’s reliance on external funding.
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