Puducherry, Sept 3 (PTI): Chief Minister of Puducherry N Rangasamy announced in the Assembly on Friday that the tax on garbage collected by the civic bodies from residential buildings has been waived with immediate effect.

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Replying to views of members belonging to the Treasury and Opposition during a debate on demands for grants to departments in the House, the Chief Minister said health workers would be paid an increment of Rs 3,000 in view of their service, particularly during the coronavirus situation.

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He said fair price shops remaining closed would be re-opened.

The Chief Minister said the strength of the trustees associations of temples would be increasd from the present five to nine members.

He said no temple land would be sold and there was a specific direction from the Centre banning sale of such land.

Home Minister A Namassivayam said a special insurance scheme would be implemented for the electricity board staff.

He lauded the steps taken by the police in nabbing drug-peddlers and said candidates would be recruited to fill 380 vacant posts of constables.

Transport Minister Chandrapriyanka announced that the government would soon purchase 200 buses through the Puducherry Road Transport Corporation.

PWD Minister K Lakshminarayan said the government has drawn up a Rs 538-crore plan for infrastructure development. He said that with a view to promoting tourism, the government plans to expand the local airport by acquiring 264 acres of land.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)