Udupi dist likely to form tourism task force

Udupi, Karnataka, Jan 4 (UNI) The Udupi district administration is contemplating to constitute a tourism task force in the district to exploit its vast tourism potential, Deputy Commissioner V Ponnuraj said today.

Addressing newspersons here, he claimed that 30-40 per cent of the total tourists visiting India paid a visit to Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, known for its famous temples like Udupi Sri Krishna temple, Kollur Mookambika, Kukke Subramanya and Sri Kshetra Dharmastala. The district had vast untapped potential in areas such as medicinal, naturopathy, recreation and other tourism.

Once the task force was set up, it would be entrusted with the work of identifying various tourism potential spots avaliable in the district and drawing a road map to exploit these potentials. As the Government alone was not in a position to fund tourism activities in the district, the State Government through its recent circular had allowed the district administration to scout for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), he said.

Mr Ponnuraj said the Coastal Regulation Zone would not come in the way of tourism development activities as it was now being replaced by the Coastal Zone Management regulations, giving scope for taking up various projects. Development of the 1.5-km-long scenic Maravanthe beach near Kundapura in the district had been taken up under PPP, he added.

To a query on the proposed coal-based thermal power project in Ullal, he said prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC, clamped in the project area on November 17 last to take up demarcation and fencing work, had been further extended till January 15. The administration would take up all required steps in view of the planned rasta roko programme from Ullal to Byndoor on January 13 by the Ushna Vidyut Stavara Virodhi Horata Samiti, opposing the plant.

UNI