PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry and Karaikal were selected for grant of ₹200 for crore tourism projects under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and 'Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive' (PRASAD) schemes, Tourism Minister K Lakshminarayanan told the Assembly on Wednesday. Puducherry was the first to get selected for the Swadesh Darshan scheme among the nine States that applied, he added.
Speaking during the budget discussions, the minister said that the Ministry of Tourism intimated the UT in this regard on Tuesday. Both schemes provide ₹100 crore each.
When DMK member AMH Nazeem sought to know what happened to funds availed under Swadesh Darshan 1.0, Lakshminarayanan said that Rs 130.39 crore released by the tourism ministry out of Rs 148 crore sanctioned was fully utilised. After submission of the Utilisation Certificate, the UT tourism department applied for the 2.0 scheme and was selected. The finance is in the form of 100% grant, the minister added.
Lakshminarayanan said that all members would be invited to a meeting and their views elicited for a holistic perspective plan for Puducherry, he said. The detailed project report will be sent to the Ministry for availing the funds, which could be more than ₹200 crore, he said.
He refuted the DMK members' charges that the Centre was providing very less funds to Puducherry, as the Central assistance was the same as previous year. Lakshminarayanan said that in addition to the Central assistance, Puducherry was being provided with funds under various Central schemes in the form of 100% grant.
Earlier, the House witnessed heated exchanges between the DMK and BJP members, over the performances of the Union government and the DMK government in TN. The remarks were later expunged by Speaker R Selvam.