Mon Mar 17 17:51:56 UTC 2025: ## Puducherry Seeks Tamil Nadu’s Help for Airport Expansion

**Puducherry, March 18, 2025** – Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has requested the Tamil Nadu government’s assistance in expanding the Puducherry airport runway. The expansion requires acquiring approximately 217 acres of land from Tamil Nadu, a point raised during Monday’s Assembly session.

While the Chief Minister stated that he has already written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, Opposition Leader R. Siva countered that no such contact had been made since Mr. Rangasamy took office in 2021. Siva expressed confidence that a meeting between the two Chief Ministers would resolve the land acquisition issue.

Public Works Minister K. Lakshminarayanan confirmed that the expansion project has also been presented to the central government.

In other news from the Assembly session, Mr. Rangasamy announced that caste certificates will now be valid for life, eliminating the need for frequent renewals. Additionally, caste certificates will be issued directly to students in classes 10-12 at their educational institutions.

The government also detailed plans to disburse financial aid to residents affected by Cyclone Fengal. Those whose homes were completely destroyed will receive ₹8,000, those with partial damage ₹6,500, and those with damaged clay-tiled houses ₹4,000. This compensation program is expected to cost ₹33.78 lakh and benefit approximately 563 individuals in Puducherry and Karaikal.

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