Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today said the Centre has earmarked Rs 109 crores to promote tourism projects under 'Swadesh Darshan' in the Union Territory.
Addressing public on the occasion of the 63rd Liberation (De facto) day of Puducherry here, he said, "Tourism has been given priority by the administration and the government intended to promote Puducherry as a vibrant tourism destination."
The Union Tourism Ministry has already earmarked Rs 109 crores for Puducherry to promote heritage and spiritual tourism under 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme.
He futher said the Rs 1,828 crore smart project being implemented in Puducherry through a specially floated statutory organisation called Puducherry Smart City Project limited would be yet another feather in the cap of the administration.
Earlier, the Chief Minister took salute at a march past presented by various contingents.
Speaker V Vaithilingam,Ministers, legislators of the ruling Congress, the French Consul General Catherine Suard, Director General of Police S K Gautam, Chief Secretary Manoj Parida and secretaries of various departments of the government were also present.
Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam became free from the French rule on November 1, 1954.
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