Rs 367 cr for devpt of tourist spots

The department of tourism will take up development works in various tourist spots at a cost of Rs 367 crore, said Minister for Tourism, Kannada and Culture C T Ravi.

At a press conference on Saturday, organised to mark 100 days of his taking charge of the ministry, Ravi said the department had planned to set up star hotels in Badami, Belur and Hampi, along with double decker buses at various tourist locations. Six such buses would start plying at different tourist spots from next year, he said.

However, the specific locations were not known at this point.

The department has also set aside funds for the development of Chamundi Hills in Mysuru. A total of Rs 75 crore has been released for the purpose, Ravi said.

Owing to lack of funds for the department, they would have to embrace the public-private partnership model to implement the programmes, the minister said.

The government will set up a Kannada classical language research centre in Mysuru. The Mysore University has agreed to give three acres of land for this. The government has constituted three committees for the purpose, he said. The project will be implemented in coordination with the Union Ministry of Culture, Ravi said.

On the occasion, the department released a booklet ‘Hejje Guruthu,’ focusing on the measures taken by the department. He said that in his tenure as the tourism minister, he had visited all the districts to understand the specific problems faced in tourist places.