Pondy tourism to be developed: Minister

Puducherry, Mar 19 (UNI) Stating that Puducherry stood second to Kerala in tourism development, Puducherry Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao today said steps would be taken to further improve it.

Talking to newspersons here, he said Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation-owned Seagulls restaurant here was being renovated at a cost of Rs one crore and would soon be inaugurated.

The Minister said the Union Government had agreed to provide Rs 210 crore for the development of the temple town of Thirunallar in the Karaikal region and had released Rs 112 crore for the purpose. The Centre had also provided Rs 12 crore for tourism development in the Mahe region and another Rs nine crore for upgrading tourism infrastructure here. However, the share of the State Government to the tune of Rs six crore was yet to be released.

Mr Rao, who also holds the civil aviation portfolio, said the Puducherry airport would be revived by the end of this year. The Centre had given Rs 38 crore for land acquisition from Tamil Nadu for the expansion of the runway. An airport would be set up in Karaikal totally by private parties, for which land acquisition had been completed, he added.

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