Statue of Unity type honour due for poet Bharathi in Puducherry

Puducherry: Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday suggested that a statue of national poet Subramania Bharathi, on the lines of 'Statue of Unity' erected for Sardar Vallabhai Patel in Gujarat, be built on the sea shore in the union territory to attract tourists and called for a comprehensive policy to develop the sector in the union territory.

Addressing participants at the one-day conclave of 'stakeholders of tourism', organised by the Department of Tourism here, she said Puducherry had rich potential to develop the sector. "Natural resources available here and also the promising spiritual and medical sectors also offer good scope for developing Puducherry into a spiritual and medical tourism centre," she said.

The Lt Governor also said that a film city could be created in Puducherry so that movies and TV serials could be produced which would ensure flow of revenue to the exchequer.

She said she had also made out a strong case for expansion of the airport here and also operating ferry services between Karaikal and Jaffna (Sri Lanka). "I made this plea while participating in the meeting of the South Zone Chief Ministers' conclave held in Tirupati recently. I will follow it up by requesting the Centre to expand the runway in Puducherry airport`, she said.

"Tourism is a promising and most vibrant sector in Puducherry.

A tall statue for Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi should be erected on the sea shore here on the same lines of Statue of Unity erected in honour of the veteran leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat," she said. The 182 metre statute dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Kevadia in Gujarat, the world's tallest, is a major tourist attraction.

PWD and Tourism Minister K Lakshminarayanan, Cooperation Minister Sai Saravanan Kumar officials of Tourism Development department and legislators were among those who participated in the stakeholders` meet.