The Maharashtra government has finally set the ball rolling to accord tourism an industry status with the Maharashtra Infrastructure Development and Support Act (MIDAS). The state cabinet has approved the act but is awaiting the sanction of the Central Government.

Disclosed Ashish Kumar Singh, managing director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), “The act would be an incentive for every investor and would provide a hassle free environment for conducting business. The new act mainly deals with the industrial sector and is currently under the purview of the industrial department, but will also bring in tourism in some way.”

Elaborating further Prithviraj Patil, general manager, MTDC, said, “The MIDAS act will certainly provide tourism that ‘midas’ touch. Under this act, tourism would be considered as an industry in Maharashtra and could procure all the benefits and incentives that an industry status avails off. This act would also empower MTDC as a Special Planning Authority under which it can procure and provide land available at various tourism estates without having it to be approved from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Besides, any development would then only be conducted with the approval of MTDC. We also plan to introduce a one-window clearing system that will professionalise things.”

MTDC at present has a lot of tourism estates and various areas along the coastal belt that could be developed. This act would also help small investors and bring in optimum utilisation of land in the state.