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Kodagu Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekar has directed officials to complete registration of new homestays and renewal of licences for existing units in the district by March 31.
Chairing a meeting of the District Tourism Development Committee in Madikeri on Monday, Mr. Somashekar instructed officials to conduct physical inspections and process approvals through offline procedures, as online registration and renewal services are currently suspended.
Deputy Director of Tourism, Kodagu, Nithin Chakki, informed during the meeting that applications for licences had been received for 100 new homestays as of February 7, while 180 homestays had applied for licence renewal.
The Deputy Commissioner directed officials to personally visit properties to complete registration and renewal formalities and ensure that all pending applications are cleared by the end of March.
Suggestions were also made during the meeting to step up inspections of homestays to help curb issues related to narcotic drug consumption.
Kodagu Chamber of Commerce president Nagendra Prasad and Kodagu Homestays Association president Monty Ganesh, who participated in the discussions, noted that several homestays were forced to shut down during the COVID-19 period, severely affecting livelihoods.
Reviewing development works at Raja Seat and ‘Coorg Village’ — a project aimed at showcasing a traditional Kodagu village and promoting local culture and products — Mr. Somashekar directed officials of the Madikeri City Municipal Council and the Horticulture Department to constitute sub-committees, including stakeholders and traffic police personnel, to strengthen Raja Seat as a tourist attraction.
While Coorg Village was developed to showcase Kodagu’s crafts, spices, and local products, Horticulture Department Deputy Director Shashidhar noted that earlier plans to allot stalls to self-help groups and departments did not attract sufficient response.
Pointing out that thousands of tourists visit Raja Seat during weekends, creating parking congestion, Mr. Nagendra Prasad urged authorities to address the issue. The Deputy Commissioner directed officials to take immediate steps to improve parking facilities and commence related works at the earliest.
Mr. Somashekar also said he would take up the proposal with Railway authorities in Mysuru to expedite the plan to introduce a toy train service at Raja Seat.
Mr. Somashekar further suggested organising World Tourism Day more meaningfully every year and directed officials to launch a ‘Clean and Beautiful Kodagu’ campaign from March 1 to April 1 as part of the efforts to gradually phase out plastic use in the district.
In view of complaints that tourists travelling to Mandalpatti were being overcharged by vehicle operators, the Deputy Commissioner suggested introducing a prepaid vehicle service system from Madikeri.
Misleading product branding
Participants in the meeting also raised concerns over misleading trade practices, where products such as wine, chocolates, spices and even silk were being marketed under Kodagu’s name without authenticity.
Mr. Ganesh urged authorities to curb such practices, pointing out that many products sold under the Kodagu label lacked genuine local origin.
The Deputy Commissioner also noted that wine was being sold cheaply under the label of Kodagu homemade products and stressed the need to ensure that public health and safety standards are maintained.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / February 09th, 2026
