Mangalore to get Rs. 5 crore

Minister for Tourism and Higher Education R.V. Deshpande said here on Monday that a Union government committee visited the State recently in connection with the State’s request to relax Costal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) regulations for developing beaches and islands. He was hopeful that the Centre would respond positively. The Minister was addressing a gathering at a consultative meeting on tourism development. He said that presently no development was allowed from the high tide to a distance of 200 m. The State had requested the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to reduce it to 50-100 m. Mr. Deshpande said the State had identified 44 beaches and some islands for development by providing infrastructure facilities. But CRZ regulations came in the way of building infrastructural facilities close to the beaches. Karnataka took the lead in requesting the Union government to relax the restrictions pertaining to development. The committee also visited Maharashtra and Kerala in connection with the same issue. He said that the private sector would have to come forward for tourism development in the State. Mr. Deshpande was hopeful that the relaxation might come. Training The Minister said the State Tourism Department would provide training in languages to select graduate youths.They would be taught foreign languages such as Russian and French. Later, they can employ themselves as tourist guides at different attractions in the State. When told that Ashok Chowta had come forward to offer helicopter services for tourism promotion in Mangalore, Mr. Deshpande said the government was ready to support it in terms of the permissions required. He said the government had proposed to develop 21 beaches in the State in the first phase by providing infrastructure with a Central fund of Rs. 50 crore, sanctioned during 2013-14. Health Minister U.T. Khader said sea erosion and encroachment should be checked before taking up beach development. -The Hindu