The backward district of Chamarajanagar is looking to put some of its major attractions on the tourist map, to draw visitors in increasing numbers.
Work on a few projects is already in progress, while a few more are awaiting clearances at the state government level. Thanks to Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan, these projects have been initiated under Work on a few projects is already in progress, while a few more are awaiting clearances at the state government level.100 crore tourism grant from the Centre of which 3.5 crore is about to be received.
A proposal made in the Rs 100 crore grant is a trolley-type facility for visitors at the famous Bharachukki falls, one of the two arms of the Cauvery falls that comes under the district. The other Cauvery falls, Gaganachukki, is in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district.
Steps at the Bharachukki falls have already been improved. A trolley-type facility would help tourists to get an eye full of the nature’s grandeur, particularly for the aged, Dhruvanarayan said here on Wednesday. Gopinatham, a tiny village on the border of Chamarajanagar district, made a name for the worng reasons, during the heydays of forest brigand Veerappan, as he hailed from this area. This place will now be an eco-tourism centre. Thirteen cottages of eye-catching shapes have already been built by the State Department of Tourism in collaboration with the Forest Department. A few watch towers have also been built at vista points to witness the scenic ghats and the forests. Plans are afoot to develop the Suvarnavathi dam area on the lines of the famous Brindavan Gardens in Mandya district. A mini-Brindavan Gardens is being proposed here. "This can be an ideal tourist attraction during a stopover for those commuting via Coimbatore," the MP told Business Standard.
"Clearance for land and a few other formalities need to be completed by the state government. Once these formalities are through, the other projects can be initiated," Dhruvanarayan said. There was also a proposal to build a stadium at Chamarajanagar with the Centre's aid, he added. About the 'Jalapathothsava', the festival of water falls, held only once though, was announced to become an annual event, he said. The district incharge minister had to take interest as the festival was a state government initiative to popularise the Bharachukki falls. The Congress MP, at a press meet earlier, strongly criticised the state government for failing to make use of the Central grants sanctioned for the welfare and rehabilitation of tribals and other traditional forest dwellers. Though Rs 94.27 crore had been sanctioned, of which Rs 57.47 crore had been released to the deputy commissioners of five districts, including Chamarajanagar over a period of five years from 2007-08 and 2011-12, the amount spent was only Rs 14.11 crore. Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu and Mysore are the four other districts covered under the conservation-cum-development plan for the all-round welfare of the tribal communities. Charging the state government of 'total indifference' towards the welfare of 45,899 tribals in the five districts, Dhruvanarayan wondered as to what had happened to the rest of the amount. He had urged the chief minister yesterday to speed up implementation of the schemes.