Come January 5, and Poyali Mala, a rocky hill offering a picturesque view from its top near Muvattupuzha, will host a people’s convention for brainstorming and drawing attention to its hitherto untapped tourism potential.
People’s representatives, local residents adjoining the hill, and leaders of political parties are expected to attend the convention to be held on the hill, which is just over 4 km from Muvattupuzha.
The event comes close on the heels of a visit by a delegation of people’s representatives who trekked their way to the top of the hill ahead of Christmas.
Payipra panchayat has been unsuccessfully striving to explore the tourism potential of Poyali Mala for a few years now.
Fund allocation
For two successive financial years, including the ongoing one, it allocated a token amount of ₹5 lakh for developing its tourism potential though more out of optimism.
“Our attempts to get the land belonging to the Revenue Department handed over to us have met with little progress. We had moved the Mulavoor village office last year with such a request. Owing to its strategic location, Poyali Mala could be developed into a major attraction for tourists heading to Munnar from Kochi,” said M.P. Ibrahim, vice-president, Payipra panchayat.
Mulavoor village officer P.V. Prasad said he was only recently posted and had little knowledge of any such request. “Usually in such cases, the request is moved to the tahsildar concerned who in turn forwards it to the District Collector for bringing the matter to the notice of the government,” he added.
Plans are now afoot to form a tourism cooperative society to fast-track the project. “The Revenue Department should not be having any objection to handing over the land to such a society provided there is a concrete proposal to tap its tourism potential. There had been instances in the past when land was given to similar tourism societies,” said Shefeeq V.H., member, Payipra panchayat.
Poyali Fest
The movers behind the society also plan to host a Poyali Fest within the next three months to give further traction to their proposal.
The local body is prepared to work on basic infrastructure facilities like road, water, and power once it gets possession of the land.
