Union Minister of State for Tourism K.J. Alphons has expressed disappointment over the continuing delay on the part of the State government in submitting a proposal, which was earlier sought by his Ministry to explore the scope of developing all potential beach tourism destinations in Kerala with better amenities.
The Minister told a press conference here on Saturday that he had, out of his special consideration for the State, sought the proposal from the Tourism Department on September 27. Timely submission of the proposal is vital for sanctioning Central funds, he said and added that northeastern States were very prompt in sending theirs.
Citing poor infrastructure and lack of cleanliness on Kerala’s popular beaches, Mr. Alphons said the proposal sought from the State was primarily meant to address such issues that had reduced tourist arrivals in the State. “The plan of my Ministry was to sanction a special fund for the completion of basic facilities such as comfort stations, parking space, changing rooms, and cafeteria on selected beaches on the basis of the proposal,” the Union Minister said.
Describing the promotion of night life as one of the major areas of attention in the tourism industry, he said it would help in improving the returns of the State. He also stressed the need to facilitate the entry of tourists round-the-clock to prominent heritage sites and national monuments as it would naturally double the number of visitors.
The Minister, while explaining the growth of the tourism sector, said more than one crore international tourists had visited India in 2017. “We witnessed a growth of 15.6% in the overall arrival of foreign tourists. We got 27 billion dollars as revenue during the term with a total of 20.2% increase in revenue compared to that of the previous year,” he said.
Central aid
Coming down heavily on “attempts to cover up” the Centre’s development initiatives in Kerala, Mr. Alphons alleged that the inauguration of many of the Central government-funded projects was held in the State in a poor way without giving them the publicity they deserved.
“People should know the role played by the Union government in various developmental affairs. Here, they come for sanctioning the fund, and they conduct the project inauguration without acknowledging the Union government’s contribution,” he observed.
Commenting on the row over the Governor returning the bill passed by the State Assembly regularising MBBS admissions made by two private medical colleges, Mr. Alphons said the bill was meant for protecting corrupt persons in the medical education sector, and that the Governor would never endorse it. “We know it was hardly meant for students. People of Kerala should come up with stronger protests as this bill was the result of a conspiracy involving various political parties,” he said.
