A day after a landslip occurred at Nandi Hills in Chickballapur district on Wednesday morning as a result of heavy rain the previous night, the new Tourism Minister has proposed that the popular tourism destination be developed on a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
At a review meeting of the Tourism Department here on Thursday, Minister B.S. Anand Singh, who recently took charge after a delay, said Nandi Hills is a beautiful spot and the PPP model will be implemented to develop it. “Privatisation won’t cause problems. In Hampi too, tourism will be developed,” he said.
The landslip, though termed minor, resulted in access to the hilltop being cut off as the road was damaged. The district administration has barred visitors for at least 20 days to undertake repairs. Scientists have sounded the alarm bells as similar landslips had caused widespread destruction in parts of the Western Ghats recently.
Mr. Singh also said due to COVID-19, the number of foreign tourists visiting the State had reduced.
“Ten tourism destinations will be selected and developed. To help poor artisans, a scheme along the lines of Shilpgram in Udaipur, Rajasthan, will be established,” he announced.
