THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As private players reap a fortune from the coasts of Poovar by charging exorbitant rates from tourists, the local panchayat has decided to launch a boat service at the Pozhikkara beach. The project which has a budget of Rs 10 lakh aims to standardise the rates of boat services here as well as to find a mode of income for the local body.
Earlier this week, the District Planning Committee (DPC) approved the project. Currently, expected income from the project is per year is `1 lakh. In the first phase, the panchayat is planning to buy three boats with high seating capacity. The type of boats will be decided later.
While there are many takers for boating at Kovalam, only private boats offer their service currently. "Tourists are charged Rs 500 to Rs 2,000. The private boat operators do not pay tax to the local body as the latter is not the licensing authority. Since they can acquire the licence from the port, they do not abide by the regulations of the panchayat. And many of them operate without any licence. Though we have had several discussions with them, they have been fruitless. Once we standardise the rates, all services will have to follow the regulations or action will be taken against them," said Jisthi Maitheen Pilla, vice-president of Poovar panchayat.
Many projects were earlier planned to make Pozhikkara a crucial spot in the tourism map. However, none took off. The local body hopes that this step could be the beginning of a much-needed revamp in the area. "The project focuses on tourism development. Though tourists visit the area, the local body is yet to make any benefit from it," added Jisthi.