The series of proposed major tourist projects Chief Minister N. Chandrababu constantly refers to in his speeches of exhortation may have to wait. What, however, comes as a small solace to local picnickers and fun-seekers is the ongoing beautification of Gandhi Hill.
Located behind Vijayawada Railway Station in Tarapet area of the city, it is the first Gandhi memorial in the country to be built on a hillock. Works have commenced on the Rs. 3-crore-beautification project under Central Financial Assistance.
Repairs to the rail track on which a toy train will move around, are nearing completion. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), which is implementing the project, has sought the help of the local railway officials in laying the rail track.
The height of the compound wall will be raised by 2 feet and above it will come a grilled structure. The projector in the planetarium will be replaced with a new, bigger one while the space will get air-conditioning facility. Flooring and cladding (application of one material over another to provide skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes), to the walls will be taken up and more cement benches will adorn the place in addition to an amphitheatre.
Battery-operated buggies (trolleys) will be introduced to carry visitors up the hill.
“This will serve dual purpose. The middle aged and senior citizens can reach there without any hassle while others can enjoy a panoramic view of the city while moving up in the air sitting in the trolley,” says S. Suryaprakash Rao, Divisional Manager of APTDC.
