KHAMMAM: Seven years after the proposed Ramayana-themed park in the temple town of Bhadrachalam was allotted five acres of land, the project remains a distant reality. Locals have alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government, which has not yet sanctioned `20 crore for the park, is not interested in building the park.

In 2013, the State Tourism Department of the united Andhra Pradesh government had sent proposals to the Central Ministry of Tourism to sanction `20 crore for the park. The State had then allotted a five-acre land for the park near the ITDA office in Bhadrachalam. However, after the State’s bifurcation, the allotted five-acre land was merged with the Andhra Pradesh state. Since then, the project has been shelved. The Union government, on the other hand, has not sanctioned the funds till date. The proposed park will exhibit and explain seven important episodes in the Ramayana through a light and sound show. The park was aimed at educating young people about the Ramayana. The BJP-led Central government had decided in 2018 to set up a Ramayana Circuit and had identified 15 destinations related to Lord Rama’s life, Bhadrachalam being one of them.