Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 9 (UNI) In a bid to give a fillip to the tourism industry, the Kerala Budget for 2007-08 presented today has set aside Rs 100 crore for various tourism projects in the state.

Presenting the Budget in the state Assembly, Finance Minister Thomas Issac said Rs 41.5 crore has been earmarked for developing the basic infrastructure of tourist centres.

Besides this, Rs two crore had been kept for developing eco-tourism and Rs three crore for cultural and environment protection in the state .

The Budget also allocated Rs 15 crore for promotion of tourism and two crore each for the District Tourism Promotion Councils.

Mr Issac said the Pathiramanal Island in Alapuzha district would be developed as an Eco-tourism centre and the island would be converted into a botanical park.

Stressing that the tourism centres in the Malabar region would be developed, he said different projects had been submitted to the Union Tourism Ministry and an assistance of Rs 30 crore was expected. The state government was setting apart Rs four crore for this.

The tourism department, in collaboration with other departments, would conduct a Kerala Shopping fest from the third week of October to January 2008, he added.

UNI