Date:12/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/12/stories/2006111217290300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Work on handloom village begins

Staff Reporter

As part of integrating the traditional industrial and the tourism sectors

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Tourism's unique project for developing Vellikkulam hamlet near Balaramapuram into a handloom village as part of integrating the traditional industrial and the burgeoning tourism sectors was kicked off here recently.

Near Balaramapuram

At a function organised at the hamlet, situated 2.5 km away from Balaramapuram junction, Minister for Tourism and Home, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan laid the foundation stone for the Rs.68-lakh project being taken up under Rural Tourism Scheme of the Union Ministry of Tourism on November 8.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Balakrishnan said the project would be extended to other clusters of the village in the second phase if it was found successful. Projects of similar nature would be taken up in other parts of the State so that the working class gets the benefits from the tourism sector.

Mr. Balakrishnan announced that a new road of high standards would be laid from Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari NH 47 to the hamlet to ensure proper access to the proposed handloom village.

Employment avenues

Being set up under the Responsible Tourism initiative, the project is expected to generate job opportunities, improve the living conditions of the village residents engaged in the traditional weaving industry and create a platform to showcase the finished products. A cluster of 16 houses in the village was identified for establishing the infrastructure as a model.

Various components

The software components to be developed include creating awareness of tourism potential; communication skills and capacity building programmes, networking arrangements for making products available in the market; training for tourist guides, training in creating eco-friendly surroundings, awareness programmes for improving cleanliness and homestays for tourists.

The hardware components proposed include development of roads, sewerage system, toilet blocks and parking facilities. A demonstration building would be set up for marketing the products. By providing these facilities, the authorities hope that they can attract tourists in large numbers.

According to a senior tourism official, efforts are on to secure funds from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the software constituent of the project. KITCO is the implementing agency and Habitat Technology Group is the consultant for the project.

The work of the first phase of the handloom village would be completed within one year.

N. Shaktan, V.J. Thankappan, MLAs, district panchayat president Anavoor Nagappan, panchayat president Parakuzhi Surendran, G. Shankar of Habitat and Director of Tourism B. Suman were among those present.