The Hindu Business Line : Higher outlay for IT, tourism in Kerala

In 2008-9, the trade fair fund will be used to protect and expand commercial centres such as Mitai Therivu in Kozhikode, Fort Kochi and the Chalai market.

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram, March 7 In keeping with the State Government’s development strategy to encourage sectors such as tourism and IT, the Kerala Budget for 2008-09 has increased the total plan outlay for both tourism and IT.

In the Budget presented on Thursday, the Finance Minister, Dr T. M. Thomas Isaac, said that the total outlay for tourism has gone up from Rs 83 crore to Rs 98 crore. Similarly, the total allocation for the IT sector has gone up by over 77 per cent from Rs 44 crore to Rs 78 crore.

Of the amount earmarked for tourism, Rs 15 crore is intended for tourism marketing.

Trade Fair

Another area that has come in for special attention is the effort to turn Kerala into an international shopping destination through the Grand Kerala Trade Fair.

This event, which was held in 2007-08 as the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival will be continued next year and is also expected to link the State’s tourism industry with its traditional production centres. “I am setting apart Rs 20 crore additionally for this programme,” he said.

To facilitate the conduct of this event, the State Government proposes to set up a Trade Fair Authority. In 2008-9, the trade fair fund will be used to protect and expand commercial centres such as Mitai Therivu in Kozhikode, Fort Kochi and the Chalai market in Thiruvananthapuram, and to create trade fair infrastructure in industrial centres such Kannur, Alappuzha and Munnar.

Other tourism projects that will receive funding in 2008-09 include Rs 50 lakh for an elephant care centre like the Pinnawala elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka; Rs 50 lakh for developing the Shaktan Square in Thrissur; Rs 25 lakh for developing the Kuthuparamba town square; Rs 2 crore for the renovation of the government guest houses in Kannur, Sultan Bathery and Munnar; and Rs 50 lakh for a feasibility study of the tourism potential of the Canoly canal and the coastal areas of Kozhikode.

In IT, Rs 18.4 crore has been earmarked for the Kerala State Information Technology Mission, which is the nodal agency for the State’s IT sector. An amount of Rs 20 crore has also been set aside for the National e-Governance Mission.

The State Government is setting up a company to create IT infrastructure across Kerala. An amount of Rs 5 crore has been earmarked as the share capital of this company.

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