The Port Department is awaiting approval from the government to accord permission to a luxury cruise ship, Cordelia, to anchor near the Puducherry coast on June 10.
According to a senior official, the department had submitted the file to the government seeking permission for the ship to anchor one nautical mile from the coast.
“The management of the ship has approached us for permission to anchor the ship for a day on June 10. We are yet to get clearance from government. The file is still at Chief Minister’s office,” a Port Department official said. As per information furnished by the owners, the cruise would arrive on June 10 and leave the coast on the same night, the official said.
The arrival of the ship to the coast here has become a major controversy with the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s ally AIADMK seeking an explanation from the government on giving permission to the luxury ship to anchor.
Though the government had maintained silence on the issue, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan responded to the criticism that the file seeking sanction for anchoring the ship had not reached her office.
