Visakhapatnam: It was proposed two-years back to construct resorts for tourists at Lammasingi in Chintapalle mandal and Dallapalle area in Paderu mandal in Vizag Agency. But nothing has been done by the Tourism Department so far, despite Lammasingi and Dallapalle being rated as the coldest places in Andhra Pradesh during the winter and drawing crowds from many places. Tourists visiting these places have expressed displeasure over no proper accommodation facilities and not a single public toilet at the tourists places.
“Though the ministers have been claiming that Vizag is a tourism hub and are announcing various projects, on and off, nothing seems to be happening on the ground,” says P. Manoj Kumar, who visited Lammasingi and Dallapalle and is disappointed by the lack of amenities for visitors. Women had a tough time, as they struggled to attend nature’s call due to lack of public toilets, he said.
Lammasingi in Vizag Agency has emerged as the coolest place and the latest tourism destination, recording 2 to 3 degree Celsius on a few days during winter with thick fog from 3 am to 10 am. Similarly, Dallapalle grabbed the limelight for its scenic view as the hamlet was covered with clouds. AP has received about 2.6 lakh foreign tourists and over 12.5 crore domestic tourists in 2016, while Vizag city and rural parts have attracted around one crore domestic tourists and 60,000 foreign tourists.
Admitting that Lammasingi and Dallapalle in Vizag Agency are tipped to be the next most favoured tourist locations in AP, despite tourist facilities being few, executive director of APTDC, R.S. Naidu has said that the tourism department has sanctioned Rs 10 crore to set up resorts and restaurants in these two places. “If everything goes according to plan, the resorts will be ready for the next tourism season (2018),” he added.
