State to invest Rs 141 cr on tourism infra

Some 80 tourism projects for a total cost of Rs 141.62 crore have been given the in-principle approval in the Mysore division .

These projects will be taken up during the next financial year and the responsibility of their execution has been assigned directly to the Deputy Commissioners of the district in the revenue division.

Mysore district will have nine projects for Rs 24.10 crore, Mandya district eight projects (Rs 8.65 crore), Chamarajanagar eight projects (Rs 7.04 crore), Hassan district nine projects (Rs 17.02 crore), Chickmagalur district 18 projects (Rs 36.30 crore), Kodagu district eight projects (Rs 7.85 crore), Dakshina Kannada district nine projects (Rs 30.66 crore) and Udupi district 12 projects (Rs 10 crore).

These projects were cleared by tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy on a proposal by Mysore regional commissioner M V Jayanthi at a meeting of tourism and other officials concerned in Mysore on Monday.

On the 125-ft model of Ishwara statue at Murudeswar, a statue of a similar height of Lord Krishna will be erected on the St. Mary’s Island, near Udupi. A children’s park, 20-30 tourist lodge and a divine park have been proposed at Maravanthe beach, the minister said.

Mysore deputy commissioner Harsh Gupta said the Mysore University was developing the Kukkarahalli Lake in Mysore at Rs 2 crore and Rs 1.40 crore has already been released. The tender process is on.

Providing details of some of the envisaged projects, Reddy told reporters later that the Centre had approved development of a heritage core around the Mysore Palace for Rs 39.45 crore under JNNURM and released Rs 7.89 crore as the initial instalment. The tender process was on and the Mysore City Corporation will execute the project.

Chartered flights from Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune will be operated to Mysore during the Dasara following the good response for flights operated during last year Dasara at concessional fares.

A Rs 49.95 crore proposal for tourism infrastructure development at Kemmannugundi hill resort and Bababudangiri in Chickmagalur district is being sent to the Planning Commission for special financial assistance.

Work on construction of an international standard hotel at Rs 4.32 crore on a 10-acre land near the Yagachi reservoir in Hassan district was nearing completion. A Food Craft Institute building was also under construction at Rs. 6 crore with Centre’s assistance. Certificate courses will commence this year alone. Construction of resorts was also planned on 420-acre land.

A project report was being prepared for creating tourism infrastructure facilities on 12 acre land bought from private owners behind the famous temple at Belur, in Hassan district, at a cost of Rs 8.92 crore.

Jungle camps and trails were constructed at Sakkarebail in Shimoga district, Seethanadi and Anejhari in Udupi district, Bhagavathi in Chickmagalur district, Anashi and Kulagi in Uttara Kannada district, and Gopinatham forest of Chamarajanagar which was a place of operation of forest brigand Veerappan.