Bheemunipatnam and Rushikonda will be developed as prominent tourist destinations of the country, Minister for Municipal Administration Botcha Satyanarayana has said.
Participating in the valedictory of the two-day Bhimili Utsav here on Sunday, Mr. Satyanarayana recalled the past glory of Bheemunipatnam. Referring to the Bhimili Utsav, he said that such programme would help revive the culture and traditions of a place.
Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao said that the sector had a vast scope for generation of employment.
“Several nations are completely dependent on their tourism sector for revenue generation. A majority of the nations generate around 40 % of their revenue from tourism,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.
Nagari MLA Roja recalled her association with Bheemunipatnam during her career as an actress. “I have very fond memories while shootings for films in this historic town,” the MLA said.
‘Promote culture’
Andhra Pradesh Official Language Commission Chairman Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad stressed on the importance of promoting Telugu language and culture.
“It was during the tenure of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy that Telugu was given the official language status in the State. Former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao had also strived hard for promotion of Telugu language,” he said.
Fishermen felicitated
Fisherman D. Satyam and his team, who had helped retrieve the ill-fated boat that capsized in the Godavari at Katchuluru, were felicitated and presented cash awards. The Tourism Department gave away ₹2 lakh while the Tourism Minister gave away ₹1 lakh to the team.
Government Whip B. Mutyala Naidu, MLAs Karanam Dharmasri and Adeep Raj, MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana and Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Praveen Kumar were among those who participated in the valedictory.
Earlier, a boat race was organised on the occasion.
