Pondy minister leaves for Uttarakhand to help pilgrims

Puducherry: Puducherry Local Administration Minister N G Panneerselvam has left for rain-ravaged Uttarakhand to facilitate safe return of 49 pilgrims from the Union Territory who were stranded there. [caption id=“attachment_896995” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The damage caused by floods. Agencies image[/caption] A two-member team, comprising Panneerselvam and Puducherry government’s special representative A Bakthavatchalam, left here last night following information that the pilgrims, who had embarked on a pilgrimage last month, were now stranded in Uttarakhand, a release from office of the Chief Minister N Rangasamy said. The Chief Minister, who deputed the team, had also spoken over phone with his Uttarakhand counterpart Vijay Bahuguna seeking the latter’s cooperation for the rescue and safe return of the pilgrims who included a few women devotees also. Rangasamy had also informed the Uttarakhand Chief Minister of the anxiety arising out of lack of information about the whereabouts of a professor of a private engineering college at Karaikal. He also requested Bahuguna to initiate steps to trace the professor, the release said today. PTI