The General Administration Department (GAD) is taking possession of 12 cottages located at Harita Berm Park here on Thursday. They would be used to provide accommodation to officials visiting the city.
The GAD has to make accommodation arrangements for the civil servants coming from Hyderabad to attend the meetings chaired by the Chief Minister or the Ministers.
So far, they are being provided accommodation in hotels. As it is a costly proposition, the government has decided to use the resources owned by it. The A.P. Tourism Development Corporation will have to maintenance the cottages given to the GAD. The government would pay Rs. 2,500 per cottage as rent to the APTDC, which is at present maintaining the Berm Park.
The venue was earlier touted as the place where the Ministers will be accommodated whenever the Darbar is organised in the city.
A few Ministers also visited the Berm Park are learnt to have expressed the view that the cottages may not be suitable. Though they are called cottages, they are mere bedrooms with no additional facilities. The Ministers got independent accommodation in the city at various locations.
There were apprehensions that accommodating the Ministers at Berm Park would pose problems. The entire area would have to be made a security zone.
If that is done, the only river tourism spot in the city will be badly hampered.
The Haritha Berm Park was developed in the year 2000. It has 30 rooms, including six non-AC rooms. Of the 30 rooms available, only 10 have waiting lounges. Of these, four are non-AC. There are five blocks, each housing not less than four rooms. A bar and restaurant, boating facility, conference halls, and an open lawn for functions are some of the facilities available there. The occupancy ratio touches 70. The facilities currently generate revenue of about Rs. 30 lakh a month. The revenue is likely to go up with the GAD taking over the cottages.
