CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the sate Tourism department to expedite the work for development of the Chaumukh-Dagara sea beach in Balasore district and complete it at the earliest.
The division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman issued the direction on Tuesday while disposing of a PIL seeking directions to the state government for developing tourism infrastructure at the beach. Anoj Kumar Mohapatra and Rajesh Choudhury, both residents of the Baliapal in Balasore, filed the PIL seeking implementation of the long-pending tourism project at the site.
According to the petition, the Tourism department had identified Chaumukh-Dagara beach as a potential tourist destination as far back as 1998. The site, with its natural beauty and proximity to rivers, could significantly boost the state’s economy, generate employment and improve living standards for local residents, the petition contended.
Additional government advocate Debasish Tripathy informed the bench that Basic Tourism Infrastructural Development Project had already been initiated to develop the beach with land demarcation completed and construction work to begin shortly.