The Tourism Department and the INTACH have identified a shelf of 51 tourism projects of historic, heritage, religious and monumental significance in Kurnool district.
A five-year action plan was being prepared and 28 tourism projects are being proposed in the first phase in a report to be forwarded to the State government within a week, District Tourism Officer and INTACH Convenor B. Venkateswarlu told The Hindu on Wednesday.
Under the plan, a theme park would be developed at Ishtakameswari temple at Srisailam, parks would be developed at Sangameswaram and Kolanubharathi temples in Kothapalle mandal and a convention centre would be developed at Yerragudi in Tuggali mandal, he said.
Beach and water-based amenities would be developed near Srisailam, Owk, Velugodu and Gorakallu reservoirs, Sunkesula Dam, Gajuladinne Project, Ramajala Lake at Adoni, Sangameswaram temple and the pump house at Kurnool, Mr. Venkateswarlu said.
The Ashoka rock edicts at Yerragudi would be developed under restoration of Buddhist sites.
Under ecotourism theme, jungle resorts would be developed at Rollapadu and Nagaluti and jungle safari would be developed at the Srisailam tiger reserve at Rollapenta and tourist amenities would be developed at Upper Ahobilam, Omkareswaram, Mantralayam, Yaganti, Panikeswara. Trikutalayam and other temples, Sri Raghavendra Swamy Brindavanam at Sunkesula, Jamia Masjid at Adoni, Khadarlinga Swamy Dargah at Kowthalam, Adoni fort and rock paintings site at Kethavaram, Mr. Venkateswarlu said.
Amenities for tourists would be developed at Billasargam caves and Valmiki caves at Boyavandlapalli village in Peapully mandal. Seven key temple zones around Srisailam would be developed to bring them on par with Tirupati.
A Hindu religious circuit would be developed around the pilgrim centres at Ahobilam, Mahanandi, Mantralayam, Jagannatha Gattu, Devaragattu temple and Yellarthi Dargah, including a visit to Tirumala.
Wayside amenities were proposed to be developed for tourists at Nagaluti, Konidedu village in Panyam mandal, Peapully, Gajuladinne project and Allagadda. A ropeway and amusement park would be developed at Sri Madduleti Narasimha Swamy temple at R.S. Rangapuram. As part of tourism development in Kurnool city, a mini-golf course, convention centre, mega shopping mall and multiplex, recreation park near Sri Nagasai temple, the Tourism Officer said. Nearly 5,000 heritage temples in Kurnool district have been classified into A, B and C grades.
District Collector Ch. Vijaya Mohan and Joint Collector C. Kiran held discussions with Principal Secretary, Tourism, Neerab Kumar Prasad, and he assured sanction of the projects if requisite land was allotted to them.
Employment
Former Minister and Rayalaseema, Uttarandhra Hakkula Aikya Vedika founder-president T.G. Venkatesh said on Wednesday that development of ancient temples in Rayalaseema and Buddhist centres in north Andhra in a planned manner would spur economic development and provide direct and indirect employment.
A five-year action plan is being prepared and
51 tourism projects are being proposed in a report to be forwarded to the State government within a week
B. Venkateswarlu
District Tourism Officer
