The Hindu

Udupi, Jan 27: Deputy Commissioner V Ponnuraj said on Saturday that the Government was giving priority to promote tourism in Udupi district.

He was delivering the Republic Day message after unfurling the National Flag at the District Stadium, here.

Mega plan

Ponnuraj said that a mega plan had been formulated to ensure basic facilities to the tourists. An amount of Rs. 55 lac had been allotted for creating better facilities on the Kaup beach. An action plan worth Rs 2 crore for creating facilities at Jain pilgrim centres and promoting the folk events such as “Kamabala” in the district, had been prepared.

A sum of Rs 83.55 lac had been provided for the development of the Marvanthe, Malpe and St. Mary’s Islands and Rs 20.2 lac for maintaining cleanliness on the beaches. Efforts were being made to promote “Guest Home Stay” project to attract more tourists, he said.

Roads

In order to convert the Udupi municipal area into Greater Udupi, the main roads of the city were being widened and new contact roads being constructed. A ring-road for the city was being laid. The land acquisition for widening of roads was undertaken. These steps were necessary to cope with the increased number of vehicles in the city. Drains were being constructed to avoid stagnation of water on roads, Ponnuraj said.

Compensation

The widening (four-laning) of the Udupi-Manipal Road had been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 24.74 crore. Those who had given up their land for widening works had been compensated adequately, he said.

Task force

Industries such as automobile, food processing, packaged food, village and cottage industries were being promoted in the district. An airport was needed to give a fillip to industrial development. A “Task force” has been created to identify land for the airport, he said.

‘Swachata andolana’

The “Sampurna Swachata Andolana” had been successfully implemented with toilets constructed in houses of 15,419 above poverty line (APL) and 43,890 below poverty line (BPL) families. Another plan had been formulated to provide toilets to 17,999 BPL and 18,867 APL families. Toilet facilities had been provided to 364 Anganwadis. The three taluks of Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala had been brought under “Nirmala Grama Yojane”. Sanur and Hebri village panchayats had provided tap water connections to all houses in their limits, Ponnuraj said.

President of Third Finance Commission A G Kodgi, MLC V S Acharya, Chief Executive Officer of Udupi Zilla Panchayat P. Hemalatha, former MP Vinaykumar Sorake, and former MLA Raghupati Bhat were present.