Karnataka appoints consultants in districts for tourism push

Karnataka government has appointed consultants in each district to identify tourism potential and promote the sector, Tourism and Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande said today.
During the question hour in the Legislative Assembly, Deshpande said district tourism committees, under the chairmanship of respective Deputy Commissioners, would be recast with inclusion of tourism-enthusiasts.
It would be made mandatory for these committees to meet once in three months, the Minister said responding to question from Appaji Nadagouda (Congress) who complained that MLAs are in the dark about the functioning of these panels.
Deshapande admitted that these committees had not been meeting in the past and people's representatives had not got invitations because of this reason.

He said 569 tourism-related works have been taken up for implementation.
Leader of Opposition, H D Kumaraswamy (JDS) alleged irregularities to the tune of crores of rupees in the running of taxis operated by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation at Bangalore airport.

He talked of corruption by way of using "duplicate receipts", and charged officials of KSTDC with "irresponsibility" and harassing hapless drivers of the KSTDC-operated taxis.
The Minister asked Kumaraswamy to provide documents to support the charges and assured him to look into the issues raised by him.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in his 2013-2014 budget speech last week that there is dearth of infrastructure in tourism. In order to strengthen tourism activities and develop tourism infrastructure, KSTDC would be restructured and strengthened with necessary additional staff and financial support.

To take up tourism activities effectively and to coordinate the activities of tourism in Karnataka, tourism trade facilitation act would be implemented, he had said.
To provide all tourist services under a single roof, tourism plazas would be constructed at world heritage sites - Hampi and Pattadakallu, and handicraft fair and shandy would be conducted here on the lines of Surajkund Fair of Haryana, according to the Chief Minister.