Chennai: According to municipal sources, the Puducherry government took up the building’s renovation with an investment of Rs 7.5 crore provided by the World Bank as part of its initiative to preserve and restore the glory of heritage buildings.
Local administration minister N.G. Panneerselvam rushed to the spot and conducted preliminary enquiries. Secretary of the CPI (M)’s Puducherry unit, V. Perumal blamed the authorities for the inordinate delay in evolving a renovation plan and termed the progress sluggish.
Heavy rains also lashed the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. The downpour will continue for the next 24 hours, the weather office said. Deputy director general of meteorology S R. Ramanan said that isolated heavy rain may occur over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the next 24 hours and decrease in interior Tamil Nadu.
For Chennai and its suburbs the weather office said that for the next 24 hours it would be cloudy. Rain or thundershowers may occur in some areas. Maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 28 and 24 degrees Celsius respectively, a weather bulletin read.
