Bhatti Vikramarka favours elite bars for more revenue, promotion of temple tourism

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Government has decided to promote elite bars in the State and develop eco and temple tourism in the State to fill in the coffers.

As part of the pre budget meetings, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka held a meeting with officials of prohibition and excise, tourism, culture and archaeology at the Secretariat on Monday. Minister for Excise and Prohibition, Tourism and Culture Jupally Krishna Rao was also present.

Bhatti Vikramarka underlined the need to identify potential sources to augment excise revenue without any increase in the prices of liquor. He also emphasised the need to evolve a system and frame policy guidelines for establishing elite bars/elite shops which should follow a uniform and justifiable pattern. He stressed the importance of setting up multidimensional teams comprising excise, police and information department and formulate an action plan to create awareness on the evils of drug menace. A proper mechanism should be evolved to check drug menace, he said.

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The Deputy Chief Minister noted that the State had the highest potential to develop temple tourism and eco tourism. "A coordinated effort by the departments of endowment, tourism and RTC is needed to develop temple tourism in the State. Similarly, many forests in the State can be utilised for eco tourism. The State is endowed with abundant natural tourist spots but we are unable to harness the full potential due to lack of proper marketing,” he felt.

The officials were asked to come up with a comprehensive tourism policy clearly earmarking the destinations which have to be developed as tourist centres. Measures have to be taken to expose our cultural heritage to international audience, he said.

Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said that the Government alone cannot take up all tourism projects and as such there was a need to formulate guidelines to enable private players to invest in tourism infrastructure projects.

The excise department proposed to take up construction of office buildings and strengthening of check posts in their budget proposals. Likewise the tourism department proposed to develop new tourist destinations as well as sought funds for spill over works.