The Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) will implement projects worth `30 crore this financial year. Of the amount, `5 crore will be spent for implementing new projects, said District Collector P I Sheikh Pareeth, who is also chairman of the DTPC.
The annual budget and several projects were also passed at the DTPC executive committee meeting chaired by the District Collector. The DTPC is expecting an income of `1.2 crore from its various projects and facilities.
This include income from the Visitors Facilitation Centre at Park Avenue, Durbar Hall Ground, facilities at children’s park, Mazhavil restaurant in Aluva, Haritha Vanam, tourist information kiosk at Kalady and Musical Walkway at Bhoothathankettu. The projects to be implemented this year include Mavelipuram park, pilgrims facilitation centre at Chottanikkara, beautification of the banks of the Moovattupuzha river, Kumbalangi clean village project, Indranchira, renovation of Kuzhuppilly beach, Cherai beach lighting, Kumbalam Walkway, Panampilly Nagar tourism project and Pampakuda tourism project.
The proposals to set up crab farming at Kumbalangi, diary farm at Parunthuranchi Manappuram, and boat club for Thanthonni Thuruth were discussed at the meeting.
A tourism circuit connecting Kodanad, Iringol Kavu and Naganchery Mana was also proposed at the meeting.
The collector said that a request will be placed before the State Government to provide the service of the heritage police.
A code is also being formed to protect the heritage monuments of Fort Kochi. He added that the projects proposed by the MLAs and other members of the council will be implemented after conducting the feasibility study.
MLAs Dominic Presentation, V P Sajeendran and Anwar Sadat, Kothamangalam block panchayat president K I Jacob, Piravom grama panchayat president Sabu K Jacob, Kumbalangi Model Tourism Development Society secretary Shaji Kurupassery, Assistant Commissioner of Police A A Jolly and DTPC secretary K N Jayasankar, and other stakeholders were present at the meeting.
