Onlykashmir.in News Desk
A media delegation from Kashmir, currently on a five-day exposure tour to Chennai organised by the Press Information Bureau, called on the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Kuniyil Kailashnathan, at Lok Niwas in Puducherry, in an interaction that touched on administrative development, industrial policy and the prospects for stronger engagement between the two Union Territories.
During an hour-long conversation, Kailashnathan reflected on his long administrative career and shared his vision and roadmap for Puducherry’s development, telling the visiting journalists that he envisions transforming the Union Territory into a major medical tourism hub. The delegation was informed that Puducherry, with a population of only around fifteen lakh, already hosts seven medical colleges, including the prestigious Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, an institution of national importance that anchors much of the territory’s healthcare and medical education profile.
The journalists were also briefed on ongoing infrastructure expansion, including work to extend the local airport’s runway to 2,500 metres from its present 1,500 metres, a move intended to support larger commercial aircraft and boost direct air connectivity, which officials expect will increase tourist inflow. Railway and roadway expansion projects in the territory are also expected to be completed by 2028, further strengthening Puducherry’s connectivity with the rest of the country.
Discussing the industrial development scenario in Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor observed that the Jammu and Kashmir government needs to offer a range of incentives, from tax holidays to cheaper power, to attract industrial investment, alongside further improvements in transportation infrastructure. He noted that connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir has already improved considerably following the extension of railway links with the rest of the country, and suggested this could be built upon further to draw industrial capital into the Union Territory.
The interaction gave the visiting journalists direct insight into Puducherry’s administration and its development initiatives, part of a broader press tour running from September 13 to 19 that is taking the delegation across various institutions and infrastructure projects in Chennai to meet senior officials and beneficiaries of public welfare schemes. Later the same day, the delegation also visited the Auroville Foundation, an experimental spiritual township, where members interacted with residents of the community.
Organisers said the tour, aimed at documenting the developmental journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047, is intended to give Kashmir-based journalists a first-hand view of governance models and welfare scheme implementation outside the Union Territory.
