Veli tourist facilitation centre, built 5 years ago, lies unused

T'puram: The state govt must aggressively promote tourism through various programmes and by improving many destinations, but poor maintenance or follow-ups seem to mar the experience of the visitors.A huge tourist facilitation centre, completed almost five years ago, lies unused at Veli. Located opposite the entrance of the popular Veli Tourist Village, the building, with its aesthetically designed conical roof, is gathering dust.The building, situated on approximately two acres of land, looks unkempt and the glass frontage has become opaque due to dust accumulation. It was intended to serve tourists, offering a space to lounge, store their bags, rest and freshen up before exploring the nearby tourist village, which features a beach and a toy train ride across a lake.Sources said the building, inaugurated in 2019, was not used since. "There is no water supply or electricity connection. There is a snag in using the building which is yet to be cleared despite many attempts," said an official.Built by Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd, the centre is part of a grand project comprising a facilitation centre, convention centre and a hotel for tourists. However, the hotel project was dropped because it was found to be unviable due to the presence of private hotels, lodges and homestays.The convention centre, too, has not been functioning for a long time after it opened in March last year. It is rented out for meetings and weddings these days.Veli Tourist Village continues to draw hundreds of people every day, the majority of them foreign tourists. The village was packed on Tuesday evening due to school holidays, with families and youngsters enjoying the waterfront, boating, the toy train and the beach.Residents said the building lies abandoned, though close to Rs 5 crore may have been spent to build it. People hope the govt will open it in time for the summer holidays, when it draws a lot of crowds from the city and Tamil Nadu.