Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R.V. Deshpande on Saturday hoped that the Union Government would relax Coastal Regulation Zone rules to boost tourism along Karnataka’s coast.
Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a programme in Mangalore University here, he said he had spoken to Union Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar and the latter had favoured relaxing the norms.
However, Mr. Deshpande maintained that there would be no compromise on the coastal environment and ecology but there was a need to consider the need to develop tourism along the coast and improve the livelihood of people in those areas.
The norms prohibit having permanent structures within 200 meters from the high tide line and the relaxation allows temporary structures necessary for tourists.
A committee, headed by the former Union Minster M. Veerappa Moily, had looked in to the issue and had favoured relaxing the norms, Mr. Deshpande added.
The plan is to develop 40 of 80 beaches in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, he said.
Under the ambitious Coastal Circuit as many as 23 beaches will be developed at an estimated Rs. 50 crore with central assistance.
Roads, bridges, drains, watch towers would be constructed. Work was launched in Udupi about 20 days ago, he said. Elsewhere, it would start in the next few weeks, he added.
The Higher Education Council, where heads of all the Universities meet, has decided to introduce physical education as an optional subject in degree courses.
“The government is serious about institutions meeting the infrastructure strandards to offer BPEd and MPEd courses. We have already taken action to close down colleges in Bangalore University,” he said.
A new gymnasium — for girls in Mangalore University — was inaugurated by Minister for Higher Education R.V. Deshpande on Saturday on the premises of the university, which has over 600 women hostels.
This is the third such exclusive gym coming in the university but the first one dedicated for hostelites. Two more are expected — one for men and another for working women.
The hostel has six-station multi-gym, trunk twister, treat mill, gym balls, eco-fit cycles, abdomenia, aerobic equipment besides a separate room for meditation — all free of cost.
