Pondy to set up new golf course: Minister

Puducherry, Aug 4 (UNI) To attract more tourists, the Puducherry administration will set up a golf course here, Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao said today.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Rao said the golf course would come up at a 35-hectare site at Manappet village near here at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

The land for the project had been acquired for Rs 3.5 crore, he said, adding the government had in principle agreed to release the funds shortly.

Mr Rao said the administration had also finalised a project to beautify the beach here at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

The craft village at Murugambakkam and the water world at Ariyankuppam would be set up shortly also.

He added the renovation works of the tourism department hotel ''Sea guils'' would be completed in a couple of months.

Mr Rao said the administration was now taking efforts for the development of sports in the Union Territory and a sum of Rs 4.32 crore had been allocated for renovation of the indoor stadium here.

The indoor stadium at Mahe region was nearing completion and a new one would be constructed at Karaikal he added.

UNI