CM Mohan Yadav announces Rs 150 crore integrated tourism circuit for Kukru hill station
Bhopal, June 28
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday laid out an ambitious roadmap to develop Kukru hill station in Betul district as a prominent centre of natural beauty and eco-tourism in Madhya Pradesh.
He announced the creation of an integrated tourism circuit linking Kukru with Chikhaldara, Muktagiri and Melghat at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore. CM Yadav emphasised the promotion of the region's natural treasures.
Units under the brand 'Kukru Natural' will be set up in collaboration with women self-help groups and the Forest Department to process and market local products such as coffee, Kodo Kutki, amla, honey, Harra, Bahera, Safed Musali and Bhilva. Dairy product sales centres for ghee, mawa and curd will also be established.
A Rs 10 crore project for Robusta and Arabica coffee cultivation and processing will be implemented with technical support from the Coffee Board.
The announcement came during the Chief Minister's visit to the scenic hill station, where he began his day with a yoga session at the rest house premises.
Practising various asanas, including Mayurasana, Tadasana, Vrikshasana, Trikonasana, Bhujangasana and Shalbhasana, along with Nadi Shodhan, Titli and Bhramari Pranayama, Yadav urged citizens to incorporate yoga into their daily lives for better health.
He also launched the Pulse Polio Campaign from Kukru and administered polio drops to children.
Highlighting Kukru's vast potential, the Chief Minister said the area would be developed with eco-tourism facilities, sunrise and sunset viewing points, modern infrastructure and adventure sports such as trekking.
To empower local tribal communities, homestays will be established and operated on the lines of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation properties, with bookings managed by MP Tourism. This initiative is expected to generate new employment and self-employment opportunities for local residents.
Additional measures include the introduction of advanced cattle breeds and the construction of cattle sheds for livestock rearers, a Rs 5 crore pond for water conservation, and skill training in tourism, hospitality and driving for local youth.
Several infrastructure projects were also announced in response to villagers' demands, including road construction works, a bridge, a girls' hostel, a wellness centre and a fair price shop.
Yadav assured that the budget for Kukru's development would be enhanced if required and directed officials to prepare comprehensive action plans for holistic growth encompassing tourism, environmental conservation and basic amenities.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's great that they're involving women self-help groups for 'Kukru Natural' products. That's real grassroots empowerment - processing and selling local items like honey, amla, and safed musali. But Rs 150 crore is a huge sum - I hope there's proper accountability and transparency. Also, the homestay model with MP Tourism booking sounds promising; tribal families can earn without being displaced. Let's see the ground reality in a year.
The yoga session at the rest house was a nice touch - shows the CM practices what he preaches. But honestly, I'm more interested in the adventure sports part. Trekking in Kukru could be fantastic if they develop proper trails and safety measures. Also, the Rs 5 crore pond for water conservation is crucial. In these times of water stress, any effort to recharge local water bodies is commendable. Let's hope the bridge and road projects actually connect remote villages properly.
I'm cautiously optimistic. MP has great natural resources but often the implementation is slow. The integrated circuit idea is good - tourists can visit multiple spots. But ₹150 crore needs to be spent wisely. The dairy ghee, mawa, curd centres sound tasty 😋 but they also need cold storage chains, especially in remote areas. And skill training in hospitality and driving for local youth is essential - without trained staff, even the best homestays fail. Hopefully, this time it's done right.
A mixed bag. The tourism circuit linking Kukru, Chikhaldara, Muktagiri and Melghat makes economic sense. But I worry about environmental impact - Melghat is a tiger reserve! Opening it to mass tourism without proper safeguards could harm wildlife. Also, the 'Kukru Natural' branding is nice, but who will do quality control? And what about road connectivity? Many villages in Betul still have kutcha roads. Infrastructure should
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