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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Bureaucratic knots, heritage hurdles stall Karnataka's Rs 100 crore tourism push
Bengaluru: Despite the Centre sanctioning nearly Rs 100 crore under its Swadesh Darshan scheme to bolster tourism infrastructure in Karnataka, the state govt is struggling to translate plans into action due to a mixture of technical bottlenecks and political delays. Earlier this week, Union tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Lok Sabha that projects for Udupi and Bidar districts had been approved under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD), a component of Swadesh Darshan. However, he added, "No project at these destinations has been sanctioned, and the govt of Karnataka has been advised to obtain necessary clearances." The minister was responding to a query from Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Kota Shrinivas Poojary. While the Centre has given its nod in principle, the projects await final approvals due to objections raised by other central departments. Tourism director KV Rajendra told TOI that although detailed proposals have been submitted, regulatory hurdles remain. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "The state govt prepared a plan for a 12km cycle lane along the entire Udupi coast and an experience centre and other tourism-boosting structures in the middle of Bidar fort," said Rajendra. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here's what a microbiologist says CNA Read More Undo "But we have run into queries from the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEF) over coastal regulation zone (CRZ) and National Monument Authority (NMA) under the Archaeological Survey of India for Udupi and Bidar projects," he said. "While MoEF has sought a map of 1:4000 to be prepared for CRZ clearances, the NMA considers the location as too sensitive for fresh structures." The state has now roped in National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management to prepare the CRZ map for the Udupi project. "We are in talks with both central agencies and are trying to convince them," Rajendra said. "For the Bidar fort development project, the govt is trying to persuade the Centre to consider its proposal." Also, two flagship tourism initiatives proposed in Mysuru under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 are entangled in political limbo. Department sources said a Rs 2.7 crore plan to create a 'tonga ride heritage experience zone' and an 'ecological experience zone' are still awaiting the chief minister's approval. "Since it is the CM's home district, we are waiting for him to lay the foundation stone for the two projects," an official said. The heritage tonga ride aims to recreate royal-era charm by setting up five carriage stations that will ferry tourists around Mysuru Palace. The ecological experience is designed to complement the Mysuru zoo with themed installations and green trails. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Central nod for projects to ramp up tourism in Varkala, Thalassery
In a boost to cultural and spiritual tourism in Kerala, the Centre has given administrative and financial sanction to the destination development projects submitted by the State government to promote Varkala and Thalassery under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, having an outlay of ₹25 crore each. While Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district has been included in the culture and heritage category, Thalassery in Kannur district comes under the spiritual tourism category, both as part of the Challenge Based Destination Development initiative under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme. These projects were cleared by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) of the Union Ministry of Tourism, which went through the detailed project reports (DPRs) submitted by the State Tourism department. 'Both Varkala and Thalassery are historically, culturally and spiritually important places in Kerala's inclusive and eclectic social ecosystem. Both the places are also known for their natural beauty. Creating sustainable infrastructure, improving quality of services and enhancing the total ambience of these two destinations will further ramp up Kerala's position as a global tourism brand that promises a holistic experience for visitors,' Tourism Minister P.A Mohamed Riyas said. Tagged projects In its DPRs the Tourism department tagged the project concerning Varkala as 'Varkala—Dakshin Kashi in Kerala' and that of Thalassery as 'Thalassery-the Spiritual Nexus in Kerala.' The project for Varkala envisions major destination development interventions to ramp up facilities in a sustainable, inclusive and smart manner. These include development of eco-friendly infrastructure, heritage streets and beach promenade, sustainable waste management systems, tapping renewable energy, digitisation of services and marketing, skilling interventions for marketing and entrepreneurship development and leveraging MSMEs in marketing and branding. The destination management interventions in Thalassery will cover heritage streets and sites, local shrines including the famous Jagannatha temple, Thazhe Angadi Heritage Precinct revitalisation, the traditional martial art centre Ponniyam Kalari, Tourist Amenity centre at the Chirakku Kavu Bhagavathi temple and a Theyyam and cultural centre at Chokli with performance and exhibition spaces. Sustainable infrastructure development, digitisation and marketing and promotion initiatives will also be part of the project. Recently approved Recently, the Centre had approved two major destination development projects for Malampuzha garden and recreation park in Palakkad district and Alappuzha as a global water tourism hub under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme for a total amount of ₹169.05 crore.
