Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake said on Friday that the State government has allocated Rs. 2 crore for the development of roads leading to beaches at Padubidri and Kaup in Udupi district.
He was speaking after inaugurating various tourist facilities such as an enclosed pergola, granite benches on interlock tiles and a toilet complex on Padubidri beach constructed at a cost of Rs. 25 lakh, on the occasion of the World Tourism Day, here.
Mr. Sorake said that of the Rs. 2 crore to be provided under a Nabard scheme, Rs. 1.10 crore had been allocated for the construction of road for Kaup beach, while the remaining Rs. 90 lakh had been set aside for construction of road for Padubidri beach. He would direct the Public Works Department (PWD) to take up the construction of these roads as soon as possible.
There was lots of potential for development of tourism in the district.
The District Administration had submitted a proposal for the development of various tourist spots in the district to the Union and State governments. “Besides Padubidri beach, we want to develop the Kaup Light House, St. Mary’s Island and Maravanthe beach as major tourist spots,” he said.
States such as Goa and Kerala gave priority to beach tourism.
They earned a major chunk of revenue from tourism. It was necessary that beach tourism in Udupi district, too, was developed on similar lines.
