Tourism as well as heritage in Chandaernagore got a boost with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this week between France and the Bengal government during the Bengal Global Business Summit. Alexandre Ziegler, the French ambassador who was in Chandaernagore to unveil plaques on three buildings enlisted by the West Bengal Heritage Commission, tweeted the event after signing the MoU late on Wednesday. “The agreement will initiate a very important revitalisation of Chandaernagore’s Indo-French heritage,” he wrote.
Atri Bhattacharya the state tourism and home secretary said, “We have signed an MoU to together explore ways to redevelop Chandaernagore heritage. There are some buildings that are either government property right now or can possibly be acquired. The French will do research and provide expertise in restoration and we will see in what phases we can fund restoration of heritage precincts.”
Ziegler the French ambassador said, “With the MoU, we have now created a bilateral arrangement whereby we will provide technical expertise. Specialists in restoring monuments will come before summer for the first visit.”
The MoU refers to the Registry Office, the former French courthouse, by name. It was one of the buildings where a heritage plaque was unveiled on Wednesday. An estimate of the restoration cost will be drawn up with the help of French experts.
The ambassador, on his fourth visit to Chandaernagore, described the former French colony as “a jewel”. “You have history, charm, proximity to Calcutta… the potential for tourism is enormous. Demonstrating what can be done in one building can have a snowball effect. Through honouring the past we are setting up a dynamic for the town’s economic development,” Ziegler said.
With the twin objectives of the MoU being to safeguard heritage and boost tourism, access from the river will get promoted. “The Strand will be rejuvenated. Most of the (heritage) properties are on the Strand, though a few are inside. There will also be further studies to identify which properties can be included in the project,” Bhattacharya said.
The tourism department will also look at setting up some eateries,he further added saying that the potential of the river should be maximised
