The State government has proposed to set up a joint venture company of the State and the Union governments to develop INS Viraat into a tourist destination in the State. Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu here on Monday.
Mr. Bisht discussed with the CM handing over of INS Viraat to the State government. Mr. Naidu said the government would appoint a special officer to look into the matter relating to launching a joint venture company.
In fact, a joint venture of the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA), the Navy and a private firm (yet to be identified) was supposed to be floated according to initial plans.
The private firm would handle the commercial operations.
The aircraft carrier would be re-jigged to promote tourism. The government also asked the Centre to foot the budget to station and maintain the ship and make it a tourist spot.
The State government is contemplating developing it as a hotel in the sea, or it may even become a museum, depending on logistics. About 500 people can be accommodated on board.
The 1,500 rooms available on the aircraft carrier would be used as tourist destination in Visakhapatnam.
“It looks like a hotel in a sea. You can pay around Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh and stay put in Commander Suit of INS Viraat,” Mr. Naidu had said a few months ago.
The Navy is contemplating decommissioning INS Viraat in January 2017. The aircraft carrier was laid up at Mumbai for formal decommissioning.
The State government had earlier asked the Centre to hand over the warhorse to it, in response to the Centre’s offer to maritime States, including Andhra Pradesh, that it would give away the warship at just Re. 1 to take custody of it. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had agreed to hand over the decrepit warhorse to Andhra Pradesh.
