Union Minister for Tourism Subodh Kant Sahay has extended all support for the infrastructure development of the pilgrim centre. Talking to Express after darsan at the Sree Krishna temple here, the minister expressed desire to make the temple town the 30th mega destination and circuit in the country.
The minister said that the government would have to decide on the destinations and circuits that are to be developed as part of the project. The details of the project available on the website of the Ministry of Tourism, state that it has taken a policy initiative to develop the tourist destinations and circuits of national importance in an integrated manner.
“The objective is to ensure that the infrastructure of these mega destinations/circuits is developed to the extent that it can cater to the future tourist inflows. The ministry has identified 29 mega projects for development,” the website says.
“The ministry will give the required funds for tourism infrastructure. But the state will have to prepare a proper report and proceed with it in an integrated manner. Guruvayur has the potential to be developed into an international pilgrim tourist destination. But the state will have to provide more than pilgrimage so that all sections of society will be benefited,” Subodh added.
The minister assured the Devaswom authorities that the Tourism Ministry will immediately release Rs 4 crore for the completion of the elephant sanctuary tourism project at Punnathur Kotta near here. The sanctuary owned by Guruvayur Devaswom has around 65 elephants.
The minisiter was accompanied by Karnataka Industries Minister Murugesh R Nirani and family. Both the ministers were received by Devaswom administrator K Venugopal, deputy administrator T V Soman and manager Mohandas.