Tamil Nadu - Tuticorin   

Tourism gets a boost with increased funds

— Photo: N. Rajesh

Interesting Spot: A group of artistes performing karagatam during the tourism festival at Ettayapuram on Saturday.

Tuticorin: More funds are being allocated for development of infrastructure and basic amenities to promote tourism in various parts of Tamil Nadu, the Minister for Social Welfare, P. Geetha Jeevan, has said.

Inaugurating a photo exhibition on the occasion of tourism festival at Ettayapuram here on Saturday, she said the State government had been according priority to development of road infrastructure.

The Department of Tourism had earmarked a sum of Rs. 5.5 crore for Tuticorin to develop various tourism sites and create facilities for devotees at Nava Thirupathi temples. The devotees were able to easily reach Rameswaram from Tuticorin through East Coast Road, which was inaugurated by the Deputy Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, here recently.

With the East Coast Road open for traffic, the duration of travel between the two places had been reduced to a large extent, she added.

Earlier Ms. Jeevan flagged off a rally in which a team of folk artistes performed folk art forms such as Karakattam, Oyilaatam, Dhevarattam.

The artistes from Panchalakurichi and Kovilpatti performed at the event.

As many as 84 beneficiaries received financial assistance under various welfare schemes.

Presiding over the programme, Collector G. Prakash said Tuticorin was attracting a large number of tourists every year.

Ettayapuram, the birthplace of poet Bharathiyar had assumed greater significance, he said. The contributions of freedom fighters hailing from the area and the importance of tourism sites in and around Tuticorin were on display at the festival.

V. Murugesan, union chairman, Kovilpatti, P.T. Rajendran, town panchayat president, Ettayapuram, S.R. Sudharsan, RDO, Kovilpatti and J. Fernandez, Principal, Government Polytechnic College for Women, were present.

While V. Radhakrishnan, Tourist Officer, welcomed the gathering, the Public Relations Officer, T. Hariram, proposed a vote of thanks.

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