Funds are being allotted for further beautification and development of tourism facilities on the Kozhikode South Beach.
A spokesman for Minister for Fisheries K. Babu, who is also in charge of Harbour Engineering Department, said on Monday that Rs.3.85 crore would be spent to beautify the beach. Administrative sanction had been accorded for the project. Tourism development activities at Sandbanks in Vadakara were also being speeded up.
A sum of Rs.90 lakh was being spent for second phase of the Vadakara Sandbanks tourism development works, the spokesman said.
However, he admitted in a press note that work on fisheries harbour at Koyilandy had been put on hold because of scarcity of land and people’s resistance land reclamation behind the wharf of the proposed fisheries harbour. However, work on piers had been completed as also the wharf and the auction centre. Once land reclamation was completed, construction of locker facility, canteen, and toilets would be completed. So far, Rs.4.77 crore had been spent on the fisheries project, which is supported by the Central government. It was also announced that Central government had shown green signal for a draft project plan costing Rs.39. 3 crore for Vellayil fisheries project, the spokesman said. It was also announced that the contractor assigned to construct a new building for Beypore fisheries technical high school had been directed to speed up the work. The Chief Engineer of Harbour Engineering Department issued a notice directing the contractor to complete the work without further delay in view of reports that said the work had not been progressing at the intended pace. Action had also been taken to do maintenance dredging at Beypore, Combal, and Puthiappa harbours.
