The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “Kurangani Hill to be developed in four months”

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Sunday, Jun 28, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

“Kurangani Hill to be developed in four months”

Staff Reporter

District administration pumps Rs.3 crore

— PHOTO : G. KARTHIKEYAN

Colourful show: Folk artistes from Karnataka performing cultural programmes at the summer festival held at Highwavys in Theni district on Saturday.

THENI: Kurangani hill will become an excellent tourist spot within four months as the district administration has pumped Rs.3 crore to develop this place, according to P. Muthuveeran.

He was inaugurating the summer festival held at Highwavys on Pachaikoomachi hills, 65 km from here on Saturday.

Ten villages on the hill would benefit through the implementation of this endogenous spices tourism project.

Road connectivity had been upgraded. Ten houses had been identified as tourist stay homes and funds had been sanctioned for their development. Tourism development works worth Rs.20 lakh had been completed. Creation of view points was under progress to enable tourists enjoy the beauty of cloudy peaks, waterfalls, valleys, cardamom, tea and coffee estates, he said.

Establishment of a 16-km long trekking route to Top Station from Kurangani via Central Station was also under progress without disturbing the ecosystem, he added. “Sixteen km away from Bodinayakkanur, Kurangani is an unexplored tourism spot. The region has ridges and mountain peaks, surrounded by valleys, and is covered by dense forests,” the Collector informed.

All roads leading to the prime tourists spots would be rehabilitated. Tribal people and locals would also be roped in to assist tourists visiting the hill stations.

Development of tourists’ spots and tapping potential areas on various hill stations will ensure sustainable livelihood activities for the tribal people and ultimately improve rural economy, he added.

Even as district administration wanted to offer benefits to more people in this town panchayats, only 72 persons came forward to avail the benefits. More people should come forward to enjoy the benefits of government schemes.

Colour television had been given to all beneficiaries in this town Panchayat. Distribution of free gas stoves with LPG connection would commence shortly, the collector added.

In his special address, Special Representative for Tamil Nadu in New Delhi P. Selvendran appealed to tea estate managements to allot or purchase one or two acres of land in nearby villages to offer at least five cents to each retired estate worker to enable him or her to lead a peaceful life at the end of his or her career.

If any worker was living in neighbouring villages for a long time, district administration would take all efforts to offer patta to those, he added. Earlier, the workers informed that they were asked to leave the houses offered by the estate management after retirement and that they had no place to stay after retirement at this village.

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