The horticulture department and the tourism department has been caught in the middle of a tug of war as they both want the popular picnic activity spots Nandi hill and Kemmangundi to fall under their departments. Currently, these tourist spots are under the horticulture department.
The state tourism minister of Karnataka, C T Ravi had recently requested the chief minister B S Yediyurappa to put Nandi Hills and Kemmangundi under the charge of the tourism department to develop the tourism in these spots and promote them too.
However, the horticulture department does not support the request and stated many reasons for their stand in the matter. Horticulture experts or environmentalists from the department said that the shift of the tourist spots under the tourism department will not be good either for the tourists or the biodiversity of the places. Generally, known for its ecotourism, hence, the utilization of the places for commercial activities is not preferred.
