``I am sure that once the tourism plan takes concrete shape, it will help create employment opportunities to jobless youths in the district,'' Rane told mediapersons.

Rane, along with Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Suresh Prabhu and Minister of State for Tourism Manisha Nimkar will inaugurate the week-long Sindhudurg Mahostav beginning May 1. The inaugural function will be followed by a dance recital by actress Hema Malini.

Rane will welcome the invitees by showering flower petals from a helicopter. This will be followed by the inaguration ceremony and fireworks display. Cultural programmes, including a procession of decorated floats, a food fair and a fruit festival, folk arts, plays, music and dance concerts have been organised.

Rane said his government had sought exemption from the stringent provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone for some tourism developments projects being planned in the area.

The Chief Minister said the State Cabinet had approved the financial outlay of Rs 365 crore for tourism development in the district. While Rs 263 crore will be contributed by the private sector, the remaining amount will come from the Budget outlay for the current year.

Sindhudurg is named after one of the favourite sea-forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire. It was declared an independent district in 1981. Sprawling over an area of 5207 sq km, Rane said tourists would be allured to Sindhudurg by its stretches of virgin beaches fringed with lush palms, hill stations nestling in the rugged Sahyadri mountains, the world-famous Alphonso mangoes, fish, the pilgrim centres of Ravalnath, Rameshwar, Bharadi, and folk arts.