Kerala Tourism will construct a ₹9.61-crore Motel Araam at Valicode, near Nedumangad, along the State Highway from Thiruvananthapuram to Thenmala. The wayside amenity is being set up on 1.53 acres of land handed over by the Irrigation Department to Kerala Tourism for the project.
Motel Araam to be built in the Kerala architectural style will face the State Highway which is being developed into a four-lane road with a width of 21 metre from Vazhayila to Nedumangad.
The feasibility of housing a modern convention centre on the premises along with Motel Araam is also being looked into by Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited (KTIL), official sources told The Hindu . It would be taken up as a separate project after securing clearance from the Working Group on Tourism.
Administrative nod
The government has given the administrative sanction for the Motel Araam and appointed the KTIL as the coordinating agency after the Working Group cleared the project.
The ground floor will house a beer parlour that can seat 60 at a time, dormitory, kitchen, pantry and rest rooms. On the first floor, a restaurant that will accommodate 100 diners, kids’ play area and guest bedrooms will come up. The plan is ready and the foundation stone will be laid soon.
Handy for travellers
The wayside amenity will come in handy for those moving along the State Highway, especially those proceeding to the hill resort of Ponmudi, the Thenmala ecotourism village, the education hub at Vithura and to Madurai and Chennai via the Kollam-Tirumangalam NH-744.
To be executed using funds from the Upgradation, Creation of Infrastructure and Amenities (Plan), the government has fixed 24 months for completing the work. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will be entrusted with the operation.
