Karnataka to frame green policy soon to conserve environment

The state government will soon launch a green policy to promote and conserve the environment, said Priyank Kharge, tourism and IT- BT minister on Friday.

“We are involving all stakeholders in formulating the green policy to ensure that it is comprehensive and ensures that the environment is protected from future plunder. The proposed green policy is in the final stages of completion,” he said at a conference on Sustainable Tourism: Road Map for Karnataka, organised by Bangalore Chambers of Industry and Commerce.

Kharge said the state government was also working towards creating a cultural hub on the lines of the one in Goa, where travellers would be able to experience the local flav­ours of the city like its food, lifestyle, culture and tradition. He said Freedom Park was being explored as a probable location for the cultural hub. He added that the government also proposes to showcase the state’s history through a concisely curated module of around 45 minutes.

He said there is a need to spread more awareness about sustainable tourism which is often confused with eco-tourism. The latter is only one part of sustainable tourism. The concept is not to hide the local culture, but to understand the local way of life, which leads to conservation, he said.

Reacting to the Supreme Court ban on liquor shops along national and state highways, he said he was personally against it. He said the idea does not serve any purpose. Instead, the government should frame stricter laws and slap hefty fines like revoking driving licences at the very first instance of drunken driving.