Wayanad (Keralam), Sep 22 A meeting led by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday decided to develop a comprehensive tourism brand called ‘Brand Wayanad’ to showcase the hill district’s unique nature, culture, agricultural heritage and local products to the world.
The decision was taken at a review meeting on tourism projects in Wayanad held at the district collectorate in the presence of Tourism Minister P C Vishnunadh and Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar, the Tourism department said in a statement.
The government had earlier announced the ‘Brand Wayanad’ project in the state budget.
The aim is to present Wayanad in the global market as a tourism product where visitors can experience its nature, way of life and culture, rather than as just a tourist destination, the department said.
Along with unique products such as Wayanad coffee, spices, traditional rice varieties and honey, local food, agricultural practices, tribal heritage and rural experiences will also be linked to tourism, it said.
“The concept of ‘Experience Wayanad’ will introduce the diverse experiences of Wayanad to travellers from across the world, while creating more opportunities in the tourism sector for local youth, women and tribal communities,” it said.
‘Brand Wayanad’ will provide a new impetus to the post-disaster economy of Wayanad through sustainable development that preserves the district’s natural uniqueness and environmental sensitivity, the department said.
Vadra, who is on a 10-day visit to her constituency, reviewed activities in the health sector and said diagnostic facilities at the government medical college here were being upgraded, according to a statement by the district administration.
The upgrades will provide MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, mammography, digital X-ray and a state-of-the-art virology laboratory at the medical college.
The installation of an MRI machine is being taken up on a priority basis, the statement said.
She said steps had been taken to upgrade the Sultan Bathery Taluk Hospital to a district hospital, while construction of a cancer centre at the Nallurnad Tribal Hospital was in progress.
Measures had been taken to expand dialysis services in the district in view of the increasing number of patients requiring the treatment, she said.
The Wayanad Congress MP reviewed the functioning of healthcare, MR vaccination and nutrition rehabilitation centres in tribal areas, the statement said.
She noted that 10 tribal mobile medical units were currently operating in 23 remote tribal villages and directed officials to submit a proposal for allocating six more units to expand the service to additional areas.
During the meeting, she also directed the district collector to resolve at the earliest the electricity crisis and other challenges faced by the Kerala State Electricity Board in the tribal villages of the district.
The MP suggested that damaged wiring and meters be replaced or repaired, as required, to ensure safe electricity supply to the tribal villages.
She asked local bodies, KSEB and the Tribal department to work together on the issue and assured them that she would intervene at the central and state levels to arrange the necessary funds and other assistance.
Vadra reviewed the progress of various central schemes being implemented by KSEB in the district, the statement said.
She held a meeting with Forest department officials to review their activities on various issues, including the man-animal conflict in the district, it said.
Officials said the progress in the construction of hanging solar fences had boosted farmers’ confidence and encouraged more people to take up agriculture, particularly paddy cultivation, the statement said.
Wildlife Warden Varun Daliya told the MP that solar fences and ditches had been installed along major forest boundaries to prevent wild animals from entering residential areas and were being properly maintained.
Preventive measures such as sensor- and AI-based camera surveillance, alarm systems, rapid response teams and radio collaring were also being implemented more effectively, he said.
Officials pointed out that, given the district’s topography and the proximity of residential areas to forests, hanging solar fences needed to be installed along more forest borders. They also said the rapid response force needed to be equipped with modern technology and equipment to safely chase and capture aggressive wild animals, the statement said.
Vadra chaired a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, known as DISHA, where she directed officials to prepare an action plan for all roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in the district and complete the works at the earliest, the statement said.
During the day, Vadra visited the under-construction township being built to rehabilitate survivors of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides of July 2024, which claimed more than 200 lives and left hundreds homeless.
She assessed the progress of the construction work and was informed that the remaining 150 houses would be completed by October 31, the statement said.
(PTI News)
