The Karnataka Government has identified several beaches and islands for development of tourism along coastal Karnataka, according to the Karnataka Tourism Minister, R.V. Deshpande.

Inaugurating the new property of Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) Ltd at Pilikula Nisargadhama on the outskirts of Mangalore city on Friday, he said that the Karnataka Government has requested the Union Environment Ministry to relax the CRZ (coastal regulation zone) norms to develop around 42 beaches and four islands along coastal Karnataka.

The relaxation in CRZ norms would help the state to develop tourism along coastal Karnataka, he said.

(The districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada with a coast line of more than 300 km form coastal Karnataka.)

The Minister said that the Government is planning to appoint consultants for each district in the state for the development of tourism industry.

The Karnataka Budget, which will be presented on February 14, will give more thrust on the development of tourism industry in the state. The recommendations of the Vision Group of the state will be taken into consideration while presenting the budget, he said.

JLR PROPERTY Welcoming the gathering, Anur Reddy, Managing Director of JLR, said that the resort offers 21 twin bed accommodations. These include two executive cottages, eight cottages, two suites, six deluxe rooms and three Ayurveda cottages.

The resort has a capacity to cater to around 15,000 visitors a year, he said.

Bookings for the resort have already begun, and JLR will conduct road shows in Bangalore to promote this resort. The resort will be open to public use from February 15, he said.

Built at a cost of Rs 4.2 crore, this is the 16th property of JLR in Karnataka.

Guided treks to the Gurupura River, and visit to the artisan village and to the biological park will be offered to the visitors to the resort, Reddy said.

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