The first meeting of the Hyderabad Karnataka Tourism Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge decided to prepare a detailed action plan to tap the tourism potential of the region to the hilt.
Senior officials of the Tourism Department including Secretary Naveenraj Singh, senior officials from KSTDC, and Jungle Resorts and Lodges, Director of Tourism Department Manjula, 11 experts, including historians, and those working in the field of hospitality, tourism, and adventure tourism participated in the meeting.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Kharge said the Hyderabad Karnataka region was home to the Rashtrakutas, Bahamani sultanate, Vijayanagar kings, and Chalukyas and played a crucial role in the development of Karnataka. The first known Kannada prose “Kavi Raja Marga” penned by Amoghavarsha Nrupatunga during the Rashtrakuta regime originated from Manyaketa, now known as Malkhed, in Sedam taluk in Kalaburagi district. Hazrat Khaja Bandanawaz Darga in Kalaburagi city was an important pilgrimage centre for Muslims, and the region is dotted with historic monuments, temples, jain basadis, Buddhist centres and rich natural resources.
“But, unfortunately, all this potential which could have been converted into major tourist attractions had remained neglected all these years. The government has now decided to tap this potential and provide all facilities, including interpretation centres in all the taluk headquarters, for tourists.”
Mr. Kharge said asked the committee members to prepare separate action plans for development of tourist-based adventure sports, with the identification of camp sites amidst the forest ranges and river beds to suit nature lovers. He said that the committee should finalise circuit-based tourism plans also. The line departments including KSTDC, Tourism Department, Jungle Resorts and Lodges, and Archaeology Department would work in tandem to ensure that proposal of the government to tap the tourism potential of the region is put in place within two years.
The committee has three months’ time to prepare its recommendations.
