KARAIKAL: About 20 lakh coupons were issued in total to customers during the Puducherry Shopping Festival spanning 70 days in Karaikal and Puducherry. In Karaikal alone, about 9 lakh coupons were issued. According to the Karaikal Chamber of Commerce, as many as 379 traders participated in the festival which was held in the districts of Karaikal and Puducherry after a hiatus of twelve years.
In the course of the festival, traders bought coupons from the government and issued them to customers intending to make purchases. A lottery contest has been scheduled for March 21 in Puducherry. Karaikal traders, PSR Jewellers and Sekar Textiles and Readymades have issued one lakh coupons respectively to traders, the chamber revealed.
The festival, which was hosted in collaboration with the Puducherry tourism department, commenced on January 5 with the intention of running it for 50 days only. However, exhibitions spanned 20 days more. J Sivaganesh, the vice president of the Karaikal Chamber of Commerce, said, "The festival boosted business for the traders. It should ideally have commenced during Christmas last year.
Meanwhile, customers gave us feedback saying that more coupons should have been issued by the traders. Next time around, we will schedule the festival around Diwali." Meanwhile, about 11 lakh coupons were issued to customers in Puducherry. P Priytarshny, the Director of the Tourism Department in Puducherry, said, "The lottery draw will be organised by the Planning and Research Department, Puducherry, at Kamarajar Manimandapam in Karuvadikuppam in the evening hours of March 21."