Cabinet meeting to be held in Coastal Karnataka, says Chief Minister

The State government will convene a Cabinet meeting in coastal Karnataka and expects officials to resolve major regulatory and technical bottlenecks affecting tourism and investment projects in the region before then, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Friday.

Chairing a meeting on coastal tourism development at Vidhana Soudha, Mr. Shivakumar directed officials to prepare, within 15 to 20 days, a comprehensive report on issues arising from Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and forest clearances, along with possible solutions.

Stressing the need to attract investments without compromising environmental safeguards, he said departments should create a simple and transparent approval mechanism for entrepreneurs.

“Investors should not be made to run from one department to another. We must identify and remove the hurdles they face while ensuring that development is environmentally sustainable,” he said.

45 tourism projects approved

Officials informed the meeting that 45 tourism projects with a proposed investment of ₹718.63 crore had been approved under the Karnataka Tourism Policy. These projects are expected to generate around 4,500 jobs.

Mr. Shivakumar said the employment potential of the coastal region should be expanded further and called for greater focus on economic growth through tourism.

Describing coastal tourism as a special focus sector, he said Karnataka’s long coastline offered significant opportunities for tourism-led development. However, projects should be planned in a manner that protects the fragile coastal ecosystem.

“We have one of the longest coastlines in the country. Tourism development must be taken up without causing damage to the environment,” he said.

Actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty, who participated in the discussions, called for greater support to coastal folk arts, music and cultural traditions. He said improving facilities for film shooting in the region would benefit the film industries of Karnataka, Kerala and Goa and help promote the State as a preferred filming destination.

Showcase culture

The Chief Minister also emphasised the need to showcase the culture, traditions and heritage of Coastal Karnataka at the international level through festivals, fairs and targeted marketing initiatives.

To attract private investment, he favoured incentives such as subsidies, interest subvention and other concessions under the tourism policy.

Single-window clearance

The meeting also discussed the possibility of introducing a single-window clearance mechanism for tourism and infrastructure projects in the coastal belt to reduce delays in obtaining approvals from multiple agencies.

Representatives from the tourism industry urged the government to promote heli-tourism and improve connectivity to key destinations along the coast.