The tourists who make a beeline for Lambasingi to enjoy its misty climate can hope for a comfortable stay this winter as the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is planning to launch cottage facilities before the season kicks off.
The interior tribal hamlet in Chintapalle mandal of Visakhapatnam Agency has made into the tourist map of the State owing to its single digit temperature in the winter, aptly earning the sobriquet of ‘Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh’.
Though lakhs of tourists visit throng the hotspot between December to February to experience the mercury drop, lack of basic amenities, especially accommodation facility remains a dampener to many of them as they cut short their tour to just a few hours.
Despite tall promises were made in the past and several proposals made, the tourists still face inconvenience in the absence of hotels, toilets, drinking water and restaurants.
‘70% works completed’
Tent facility was introduced a months ago, but the cottage project proposed by the APTDC is yet to be a reality. However, the APTDC officials say almost 70% of the project works have been completed and the facility is likely to be launched before the tourist season.
“Works pertaining to conference hall, kitchen are pending, while cottages and other facilities are ready. We are putting in efforts to finish the project at the earliest,” says Prasad Reddy, Divisional Manager of APTDC (Visakhapatnam).
According to him, 12 cottages, kitchen, conference hall, toilets, play area for children and a few others facilities will be made available at the earliest. All the works have been undertaken at a budget of ₹5 crore.
A few other works such as landscaping and additional structures will be facilitated in phases, he adds.
A senior official from the APTDC says that once the project is completed, the officials will a visit the site and fix the tariff. The proposals will be sent to the government for approval.
The tent facility being provided to the tourists at Lambasingi has evoked a warm response, the officials say.
‘Tents evoke warm response’
The officials launched the facility a few months ago as a stop-gap arrangement as the cottage project is yet to take off.
Now, for a tent, ₹1,500 is being charged during the week days, while the same for during weekends is ₹2,000 a day.
Officials say that the the demand for tents has been good and the facility will continue even after cottages are opened.
