MoU on port likely on March 14.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between the Puducherry government and the Union Shipping Ministry on March 14 to develop Puducherry as a satellite port, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry (Independent charge) Nirmala Sitharaman announced recently.

She was speaking at the inauguration of the Digi-Dhan mela organised by the Directorate of Information Technology.

Ms. Sitharaman said the objective of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to bring all people under inclusive development. No State would be left out and nothing would be imposed compulsorily on any section.

The Union Government was able to save around ₹27,000 crore because of implementation of the digital mode of payment by transferring the benefits to the targeted beneficiaries. The government was able to plug the leak of funds as the benefits reached the intended beneficiaries.

The scheme was adopted on a pilot basis for payment of pension, wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA), and the public distribution system. The benefits would be on a much large scale if a similar mode was adopted in all schemes.

THE HINDU