Vijayawada: Tourism minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao has sought financial assistance from the Centre for development of pilgrimage and heritage destinations in AP under the ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive’.
The minister wrote to the Union minister for tourism and culture Kishan Reddy seeking funds to improve the basic services and infrastructure at temples.
He sought Rs 83.33 crore for development of the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Dwaraka Tirumala in West Godavari, Rs 55 crore for the Srimukhalingeswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam, Rs 74.86 crore for the Durga temple in Vijayawada, Rs 82 crore for the Sri Kalahasteeswara Swamy temple in Chittoor, Rs 753 crore for the Holy Place at Puttaparthi, Rs 49 crore for the Vedagiri Lakhmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Nellore and Rs 20.10 crore for tourism infrastructure development at Motupalli in Prakasam district, among others.
Sanction has also been sought for works pertaining to the department of archaeology and museums. These related to inclusion of Rajamahendravaram in heritage cities list with a fund allotment of Rs 400 crore for its development; the construction of Rallapalli Subbarao Government Museum in Rajamahendravaram at a cost of Rs 10 crore; the construction of a dam site museum at Mylavaram in Kadapa district at a cost of Rs 10 crore; digitisation of antiquities in various museums in AP at a cost of Rs 1.53 crore and construction of Padmasri Kalluri Subbarao memorial archaeological museum at Anantapur at a cost of Rs 7.15 crore, the work for which is in progress and the Centre is urged to release a pending amount of Rs 2.86 crore in this connection.
The minister, while taking part in the southern region tourism and cultural ministers’ conclave in Bengaluru, sought allocation of Rs 395.50 crore for construction of auditoriums, Rs 200 crore for cruise tourism from Visakhapatnam to Sri Lanka, Rs 200 crore for cruise tourism in backwaters of rivers, Rs 30 crore for the Kirandul express train, Rs 200 crore for developing a Yatra Nivas in tribal areas, Rs 200 crore for Araku Valley ropeway and Rs 600 crore for development of tourism along the coastline from Bheemili to Bhogapuram.
