The tribal museum coming up at Timmapuram in the city would be named after legendary freedom fighter and leader of Rampa Rebellion Alluri Sitarama Raju. Cottages too would be built in the vicinity of the museum to enable tourists to stay there and enjoy the ambience of tribal habitation.
The Alluri Sitarama Raju Memorial Tribal Museum coming up on a 4-acre land located on the sea-facing side of a hill has been conceptualised by city-based artist Venkat in such a way that it looks like a tribal ‘tudum’ or drum with traditional tribal shacks spread over the rest of the area to provide space for workshops.
There is an additional 5-acre extent between the land earmarked for the museum and the Greyhounds headquarters.
This would also be alienated to the Tribal Welfare Department to locate tourist cottages, Minister for Tribal Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu said after laying the foundation stone for the project here on Friday. “The museum will be a reality in about one year and Rs. 20 crore has been allocated for the purpose. Of the total sum, Rs. 15 crore will be for the buildings and Rs. 5 crore for library,” Director of Tribal Welfare M. Padma said.
Foundation stones for a Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute and A.P. Study Circle were also laid by the Minister at Rushikonda.
The stones were laid on the eve of the birth anniversary of Alluri Sitarama Raju.
The official celebrations would be organised in Hyderabad on Saturday. It would be celebrated as an official function in all the 13 districts of the State.
“It is for the first time that Alluri’s birth anniversary is being celebrated and his contribution acknowledged,” the Minister said.
HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Visakha North MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju, District Collector N. Yuvaraj, PO of Paderu ITDA Harinarayanan, Engineer-in-Chief of the Tribal Welfare Department and other officials were present. The Ministers also inaugurated a hostel building for tribal students at Madhurawada earlier.
Stones laid for several projects on the eve of the freedom fighter’s birth anniversary