Puducherry to raise welfare spending by ₹350 crore

The Puducherry government plans to increase welfare spending by ₹350 crore in the next financial year. This follows a decision to raise monthly assistance for women heads of Below Poverty Line families from ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 and increase old age pensions by ₹500. Currently, about 57,000 women benefit from the assistance scheme, costing the government ₹5-6 crore monthly. The new budget will require an additional ₹110 crore for this scheme and ₹120 crore for the increased old age pension, which serves around 1.81 lakh people. The total budget for 2025-26 is estimated at ₹13,600 crore, with ₹2,110 crore allocated for welfare schemes. The government is exploring ways to increase revenue to support these commitments without burdening the public.