Puducherry government initiates steps to get UNESCO World Heritage status for Union Territory

The Puducherry government has initiated steps to get the UNESCO World Heritage status for Puducherry, a top official said on Saturday.

As part of this initiative, the administration held a conference under the banner "Puducherry Heritage Conservation: Road to UNESCO nomination." The conference was organised by the territorial government in association with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Later talking to reporters, Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar said the government had initiated steps to get the Union Territory listed among the world heritage sites. "The administration has set in motion the process to get UNESCO World Heritage status for Puducherry. The conference is a beginning and it is a long-drawn-out process," he said.

Preparation of an inventory of sites and places to include them in the dossier would be the next process. The Chief Secretary felt that the success of the project hinged on the active and constructive involvement of the public.