BENGALURU: With the state government allocating Rs 500 crore to the tourism sector in the state budget, the announcement for improving Anjaneyaswamy Temple in Koppal at a cost of Rs 20 crore has caught the attention of experts and officials.
A tourism official said that the formation of the Ayodhya committee and the Ayodhya circuit has been in the BJP’s manifesto and this announcement is a part of that.
He added that the Anjaneyaswamy Trust has been formed on the lines of the Ayodhya Trust and they are linked together.
“It is a well-planned move of the government to complete the circuit. Koppal, Kishkindha and the surrounding areas find a place in the Ramayana and they will get a philip,” he said. However, some experts are unhappy with what has been offered in the budget.
“While the government mentioned speeding up the Tourism Policy, there is no mention of how Hampi and its environs will be better protected. The involvement of locals in the architectural protection of sites finds no mention in the budget. Jog Falls is already a tourism destination, creating a circuit will ruin the pristine eco- system and take a toll on the Western Ghats,” an expert said.
They pointed out that while formulating the policy, the government must look into the demands of Millenials, what the gaps are and what was lacking.
The government should look at developing circuits on the lines of the golden triangle in North India, they said.