Centre to develop Puducherry, Kancheepuram as major tourist destinations: Union Minister

According to a report by Divya Chandrababu in The Times of India, the Centre would focus on developing Puducherry and Kancheepuram in South India, as major tourist destinations, said Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Culture & Tourism and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India, yesterday. He was inaugurating a Rs 5.5-crore science centre and planetarium in Puducherry. "After my visit to Puducherry, I feel that there is a lot of potential because it has got its spiritualism, scenic views of the beach, and now we have come up with a science museum," he stated.

Later, during his visit to Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, the Minister said, "We have proposed to make it a destination on the international map along with the North East. And, this time the government has come up with a coastal circuit with an investment of Rs 120 crore and Puducherry will be part of that."

Dr Sharma said Kancheepuram was one of the highlights of the National Tourism Policy, which would be ready in another 15 days. The temple town is one of 12 cities on the first list prepared under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme to promote tourism across the country.
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