Kerala to seek Centre's approval for UAE-promoted tourism township at Vagamon or Munnar

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is preparing to seek approval from the Central government for a project to establish a tourism township at Vagamon or Munnar in the Idukki district with financial assistance from the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Obtaining the Centre’s permission is mandatory for projects implemented with financial assistance from foreign governments. Therefore, the state government is seeking the central government’s permission by this condition.

The project is currently in the preliminary stage, with the proposal having been approved for implementation and the plan initiated by the UAE government, is currently under the consideration of the Tourism and Revenue departments. Since Munnar and Vagamon fall within the ecologically fragile zone, the proposal is likely to face significant opposition. However, higher officials in the Revenue Department are known to have instructed the staff at the field level to identify a suitable location for the project.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting between the UAE Ambassador to India and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Subsequently, the Chief Minister forwarded the proposal to the Chief Secretary, who convened a meeting in December where the decision to proceed with the project was taken. Although the UAE government has expressed interest in the project, private individuals or establishments are likely to invest in it if the past precedents are anything to go by. The government is still unclear about the nature of the investment. Therefore, the state will request the UAE government clarify the investment's nature.

Meanwhile, there is speculation among higher officials that the project is merely a benami arrangement by private individuals or companies. Despite being proposed for implementation in an ecologically fragile zone, the state government will need to grant several concessions for the project. Some earlier projects in the state, initially claimed to be financially supported by the UAE government, later turned out to be backed by private individuals and companies.