The Hindu Business Line : Five-member committee to finalise modalities for SPV

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has asked the southern States to make the discerning foreign tourists realise the tourism potential in the region.

(From left) Mr A. Namassivayam, Agriculture Minister of Pondicherry, Mr D.T. Jayakumar, Tourism Minister of Karnataka, and Dr J. Geeta Reddy, Tourism Minister of Andhra Pradesh, at the South Indian Tourism Ministers' Conference in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Ms Ananda Shankar, Additional Director, A.P. Tourism, is also seen. — A. Roy Chowdhury

Hyderabad , April 28

THE southern States have formed a five-member committee to finalise modalities for the proposed Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement the Southern Splendour project.

The project aims to connect all the important cities and towns in the five States through a circular luxury train to promote tourism in the region.

The decision has been taken at the South Indian Tourism Ministers' Conference held here on Thursday.

The committee, which would comprise Secretaries or Commissioners, would submit its report in a month. It would consider issues such as debt-equity ratio and shareholding pattern.

It would also look into the issue of rationalisation of road taxes in the region.

The conference also resolved to conduct `Dakshinotsav' in Delhi to promote the tourism potential of the South. This would take place at Pragati Maidan in June or November annually.

The South India Tourism Council would be headquartered at Hyderabad. This would assist in development and marketing of destinations in the South.

Delivering the inaugural address at the conference, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has asked the southern States to make the discerning foreign tourists realise the tourism potential in the region.

The South should strive to make foreign travellers look beyond the traditional Delhi-Agra-Jaipur circuit by projecting the South as one large bloc.

"We should work to put South India on the national and international tourism map as the most sought after tourism destination and circuit," he said.

Mr D.T. Jayakumar, Karnataka Minister for Tourism, said the southern States could save a lot of time and effort if they joined hands. "By promoting each State individually and competing with each other, we are not only wasting scarce resources but also confusing the tourists," he felt.

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