Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, 25 June 2026, praised the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) for its decision to restore the Old Lighthouse in Puducherry, calling the move deserving of appreciation while highlighting the structure's deep association with the territory's customs and maritime history.

Context

Speaking in Puducherry, Sitharaman described the Union Territory as 'a confluence of Tamil, Indian, French, maritime, and global influences,' adding that 'few places in India carry such layered history with such ease.' Her remarks drew attention to two specific structures — the Old Lighthouse and the nearby Douane Customs building — as physical embodiments of that layered heritage.

The Douane (French for 'customs') building is a colonial-era customs office that CBIC currently maintains and administers. Both structures, Sitharaman noted, 'represent an important part of the institutional and maritime history of Puducherry.'

Policy Backdrop

Puducherry was formally ceded by France and became a Union Territory of India in 1963, leaving behind a compact urban core that blends French, Tamil and British-era architecture — much of it still in active government use. CBIC, which functions under the Ministry of Finance, has long been tasked with the upkeep of select colonial-era public buildings in former European settlements, integrating routine administrative maintenance with heritage conservation.

This approach — assigning functional ministries rather than purely archaeological agencies to conserve working heritage structures — has been a recurring feature of how successive central governments have managed institutional buildings in territories like Puducherry. The Old Lighthouse's documented association with the Customs Department makes it a particularly fitting candidate for CBIC-led restoration.

Stakeholders and Impact

The restoration decision is expected to benefit Puducherry's tourism sector, which draws visitors specifically for its French-quarter streetscapes and maritime heritage. Heritage conservationists have consistently flagged the need for structured intervention in maintaining colonial-era lighthouses and customs infrastructure along India's coastline.

For CBIC, the project represents an extension of its administrative mandate into active heritage stewardship — a role that reinforces the department's historical continuity with the customs function it has exercised in Puducherry since the colonial period.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to formal progress reports, tenders, or budget allocations that CBIC may issue for the lighthouse restoration project. Any earmarking of funds in subsequent Union Budget documents or departmental capital expenditure plans will be a key indicator of the timeline and scope of the work. Sitharaman's public endorsement is likely to lend political momentum to the project's prioritisation within the Ministry of Finance's administrative calendar.