Tourism Minister R.K. Roja has said that the State government will not act against the interests of the tribal people.
Ms. Roja inaugurated the Harita Hills Resorts of AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), constructed at a cost of ₹3 crore, at Lambasingi in Alluri Sitharamaraju district on Sunday.
She recalled her visit to Lambasingi for the shooting of the film ‘Chamanthi’ three decades ago. She said the YSR Congress Party was committed to the development of the Agency areas as a tourist hub apart from making Visakhapatnam as the Executive capital.
She joined the Dhimsa dancers along with GCC Chairperson Shoba Swathi Rani, Zilla Parishad Chairperson J. Subhadra, MLC Varudhu Kalyani and others at the inaugural function.
Later, when media persons reminded her of the opposition to the hydropower project by the tribal people in the Agency, the Tourism Minister said that the YSR Congress Party government would safeguard the interests of the tribal people and provide them employment. She also said that the places of historical importance, pertaining to the revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitharama Raju, would be protected and preserved.
Development of Simhachalam temple
Ms. Roja said that ₹54 crore was sanctioned for the development of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam. The tourist places in Araku, Paderu and Chintapalli would be developed as a circuit at an estimated cost of over ₹100 crore. She said that Andhra Pradesh stands third in tourism after Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh in the country. The tourism sector, which has suffered badly due to COVID-19 pandemic, was recovering slowly. A total of 9.30 crore tourists visited Andhra Pradesh this year, she said.
