Thalassery heritage circuit set to take wings

KOCHI: After months of slumber, the Thalassery Heritage Circuit might just take off at last. The Tourism Department is set to hold a meeting of the ministers concerned, MLAs and other officials in the coming weeks  on the issue. The project, launched last year at a proposed cost of `200 crore, is intended to connect and develop the different heritage spots and monuments in and around Thalassery.In the budget proposed by the last government, the project had got an administrative sanction for Rs. 20 crore. But with the elections and the change in government, whatever little progress was made was stalled owing to a variety of reasons, including the transfer of personnel, vacancies and lack of funds. Insiders also blame the lack of a detailed  master plan too. “A lot of work has to be done on the master plan. It lacks details on a number of components. Besides, only 20 per cent of the funds have been sanctioned. The balance 75 per cent have to be allotted,” a top official of Tourism Department says.The absence of a special officer to coordinate the project has been a major constraint. “We have sent a letter to the Tourism Department regarding the issue. Earlier, the post of a rural development officer and a special officer was clubbed together. The idea was that an RDO will be able to coordinate the works better. But in the new order, the RDO’s  post does not mention the special officer. So even after four months of the RDO taking charge, the special officers’ post is still vacant,” says Kannur DTPC secretary M V Kunjiraman.Apart from this, the detailed estimates of various roads and other constructions sites are yet to be prepared for the project. Once completed, the project will link heritage sites of Thalassery, including forts, temples, churches, mosques and palaces. The residences of eminent personalities like Hermann Gundert and A K Gopalan too will be renovated under the project.