To develop sports and games in the State, the government plans to establish eight world-class integrated sports complexes, Minister for Tourism and Sports Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao has said.
PPP projects
Reviewing tourism and sports projects with officials of the respective departments at the Secretariat on Wednesday, the Minister said all these projects would come up in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode at Guntur, Srikakulam, Aganampudi, Kommadi (Visakhapatnam), Meghalapalem (Nellore), Eluru, Kakinada and Vizianagaram.
Besides, 7-Star and 5-Star hotels would be established in 12 locations across the State. To attract investors, road shows would be conducted in Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.
The star hotels would be established at Gandikota (Kadapa district), Kakinada, Pichukalanka (East Godavari), Horsley Hills (Chittoor), Nagarjuna Sagar (Guntur), Suryalanka beach (Guntur), Orvakal (Kurnool), Kalingapatnam (Srikakulum), Rushikonda (Visakhapatnam), Bhavani Island (Krishna) Tirupati-Perur (Chittoor) and Polavaram (West Godavari).
Earlier, speaking to the media at Haritha Berm Park at Bhavanipuram here, the Minister said that the new tourism policy would pave the way for implementation of projects on a large scale in the PPP mode.
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic had paralysed the tourism sector, and the department had incurred a loss of ₹1 crore per month in the last six months, he said, adding that in response to the Centre’s decision to open tourist destinations to the public, the government had started making arrangements accordingly.
“The picturesque Bhavani Island on the Krishna is being spruced up. It will be opened to the public from November 10 keeping in view the traditional ‘Karthika Masam Vana Bhojanam’, when the place turns into a picnickers’ hub,” he said.
Boating activity
Barring Papikondalu, boating activity had been resumed in most places with nearly 60 boats in operation. “In the Krishna, the recreational facility will be made available after the flood water at Prakasam Barrage recedes and the Irrigation Department gives green signal,” he said.
To prevent recurrence of boat accidents, command control rooms had been set up at nine places with officials and staff of the Police, Revenue, Tourism, Irrigation and other allied departments coordinating the safety aspects, the Minister said.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the department earned ₹28 crore by utilising 38 hotels it runs across the State as COVID centres and supplying food to the patients in them.
Instructions had been given to the officials to ensure strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol at all tourist spots. Moving forward, focus would be on promotion of water tourism, eco-tourism, beach tourism and temple tourism, he added.
