Shakti Yojana boosts tourism in Chikkamagaluru district as number of visitors double in June
One month since implementation of scheme, over 7 lakh tourists visited district
Chikkamagaluru, a popular tourist destination in Karnataka renowned for its scenic beauty, has witnessed a significant surge in tourist arrivals following the implementation of the state government's Shakti Yojana. The scheme has contributed to a doubling of tourist numbers in the district, highlighting its positive impact on local tourism.
Fondly referred to as the 'Coffee Land of Karnataka' and the 'Kashmir of Karnataka', Chikkamagaluru attracted 69.70 lakh tourists in 2022. As of June-end 2023, the district has already welcomed 29.24 lakh visitors. Within just one month of the Shakti scheme's introduction, Chikkamagaluru witnessed an impressive influx of 7.17 lakh tourists.
Tourist sites such as Mullayyanagiri, Seethalayyanagiri, Bababudangiri, Kemmannugundi, and the waterfalls in the Chandradrona Hill area have been popular among visitors. Additionally, religious centers like the Sharadamba Temple in Sringeri, the Annapoorneshwari Temple in Horanadu, and the Kalaseshwara Temple in Kalasa have attracted a significant number of tourists to the district.
Comparing statistics from June 2022, Sringeri recorded 1.20 lakh visitors, Horanadu received 88,000 visitors, Kalasa welcomed 8,100 visitors, Dattapeetha saw 63,000 visitors, and Kemmannugundi hosted 18,000 visitors, totaling 2.97 lakh tourists for the month. This year has also witnessed a steady flow of visitors, with 8.13 lakh tourists in January, 3.03 lakh in February, 2.93 lakh in March, 3.67 lakh in April, 4.3 lakh in May, and 7.17 lakh in June.
Government records indicate that the free bus travel facility provided to women under the Shakti scheme has encouraged a significant number of female tourists to explore various religious and tourist centers in Chikkamagaluru. Furthermore, with the monsoon season subsiding, tourists have found it an opportune time to visit the district. Notably, the Sharadamba Temple alone witnessed a staggering 1.60 lakh visitors in June, while the Annapoorneshwari Temple and Kalaseshwara Temple welcomed 2.20 lakh and 1.5 lakh visitors, respectively. Dattapeetha and Kemmannugundi received 1.16 lakh and 71,000 visitors, respectively, during the same period.
Lohith, Assistant Director of the Tourism Department, expressed his satisfaction with the significant increase in tourist footfall over the past six months, with approximately 30 lakh visitors exploring the district. The season of the Neelakuruvanji flowers has also attracted a considerable number of tourists to Mullayyanagiri. The Shakti Yojana has played a crucial role in driving tourist numbers to the religious centers and popular tourist spots in Chikkamagaluru. As a result, business activities in the district have witnessed a notable upswing, further bolstering tourism prospects.
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Insensitive of Pune hospital to deny admission to woman, says Fadnavis; forms inquiry panel
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the formation of a committee to inquire into the death of a pregnant woman after she was allegedly refused admission by Pune's leading Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital over non-payment of a deposit of Rs 10 lakh.
The controversy escalated on Friday with local political activists staging a protest outside the hospital and the hospital claiming that the woman's relatives were making misleading allegations.
A day earlier, BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe claimed in a video message that Tanisha Bhise, the wife of his personal assistant, was refused admission by the hospital. She was taken to another hospital where she died after delivering twins, he said.
A statement from the Chief Minister's Office said on Friday that he had taken serious note of the incident. "He has ordered the formation of an inquiry committee under the chairmanship of the Joint Commissioner of Charity, Pune," it said.
It said that the deputy secretary or under-secretary of the Law and Justice department would be the member secretary of the committee.
Further, instructions have been issued to the principal secretary, the Law and Justice department and the charity commissioner to ensure that the Charity Patient Scheme prepared as per the directions of the High Court is effectively implemented by all charity hospitals, the CMO said.
"All charitable hospitals should seek approval from the 'Charity Hospital Help Desk' through the online system to make reserved beds available to patients from the poor and vulnerable groups," it said.
The government has approved 186 posts of charitable health workers in charitable hospitals, and they should be filled immediately, the CMO statement said.
Talking to reporters here, Fadnavis said it was "insensitive" on the part of the hospital to deny admission to a pregnant woman.
He conceded that there was a lot of anger among the people over the incident.
"Medical ethics are needed. The Chief Minister's medical cell also intervened, but the hospital did not budge," Fadnavis said.
An internal inquiry report of the Mangeshkar Hospital claimed that the allegations of denial of admission for non-payment of Rs 10 lakh were "misleading" and made "out of frustration" by her family.
The woman's pregnancy was in the high-risk category, and her two underweight fetuses of seven months, coupled with a history of an old ailment, required Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) treatment for at least two months, it said.
The treatment required Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and the family was advised that in case of lack of funds, they could admit the patient to the government-run Sassoon General Hospital for a complicated surgery, it added.
BJP MLC Chitra Wagh, meanwhile, came under criticism for a social media post praising the party's women's wing members who targeted and vandalised a private clinic in Pune's Kothrud area belonging to Dr Shusrut Ghaisas, who works at the hospital.
Dr Nilima Ghaisas, his mother, said her son did not practice there.
Activist Vishwambhar Choudhari criticised Wagh's remarks and claimed that the BJP-led state government recently allotted land to the hospital for Rs 1 per year rent.
The deceased woman's husband was the personal assistant of a BJP Member of the Legislative Council, yet he could not do anything, Chaudhari said.
