Claiming the credit for the implementation of the SC/ST Sub-Plan, Union Minister of State for Tourism K. Chiranjeevi on Saturday said that the merger of his political outfit Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress had resulted in the implementation of the sub-plan.
“During the merger, I have asked the Congress high command to ensure social justice. This is my lone condition for the merger. The moment we merged into the Congress, the State government commenced implementing the SC/ST Sub-Plan,” Mr. Chiranjeevi announced while addressing a public meeting organised at Uppada near here.
After laying the foundation stone for the construction of the State Hotel Management Institute to be built at a cost of Rs. 12 crore , he attended a public meeting along with a slew of Ministers from the State.
“There is no compromise on social justice, which is the slogan of the political party launched by me. I am happy with my present portfolio and loved to be the ambassador of Indian tourism,” he said, adding that he had sanctioned funds to the tune of Rs.260 crore to the State for tourism development, in which Rs. 100 crore was for East Godavari district alone. “A tourism circuit has been developed between Konaseema-Papikondalu-Bhadrachalam and a world-class Home Science University will be set up in Tirupati soon,” he said. Welcoming the verdict given by Karnataka voters in the recent elections to their State Assembly, Mr. Chiranjeevi said that people were not willing to encourage corruption. He said that the Congress was the only party that never spared corrupt leaders.
Stating that tourism was the largest employment generating sector in the world, Mr. Chiranjeevi said that employment on large scale would be provided to the educated youth from the rural pockets in the tourism sector. Tourism Minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar, Animal Husbandry Minister Pinipe Viswaroop, Stamps and Registrations Minister Tota Narasimham, Rajahmundry MP Undavilli Arun Kumar, MLAs and MLCs were present.
Later, Mr. Chiranjeevi laid foundation stone for the eco-tourism park that costs Rs. 5 crore, beach resorts and Shilparamam each at a budget of Rs. 7.5 crore at Vakalapudi. Notwithstanding the objections raised by the environmentalists, he laid foundation stone for the construction of tourist cottages near Coringa wildlife sanctuary.
