The idyllic hill station of the capital is to be developed into a world-class tourist destination, Minister for Tourism and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran has said.
The project will be taken up in such a way that the ecology of the terrain remained undisturbed, he said. Commissioning 15 cottages constructed by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) at the Golden Peak Hill Resort at a cost of ₹3.20 crore on Tuesday, the Minister said Ponmudi needed new tourism products and leisure activities for it to be turned into a world-class attraction.
It was tough getting land from the Forest Department for the development of the hill station, yet the government would look into how to overcome the problem, Mr. Surendran said. Scopes of introducing trekking, mountain cycling, and other sports for the holidayers would also be explored in consultation with the Forest Department, he said.
The government had already announced a ₹200-crore project in the budget for the development of Ponmudi with the assistance of KIIFB. The ₹2-crore administrative sanction for the development of lower sanitorium and beautification had already been issued and the work would begin soon, he said.
Eye-opener
The Tourism Minister said the commissioning of the 15 cottages in an year should be an eye-opener for the Public Works Department that was yet to complete the additional block in the hill resort even after five years.
Stating the prominent role given by the government to the KTDC in the tourism development of the State, Mr. Surendran said the present government had sanctioned ₹150-crore projects for the district. The room tariff for the cottages ranges between ₹1,500 and ₹3,600 a day.
