Tourism Minister Muthamsetti Srinivasa Rao has said the State will throw open tourism destinations to visitors from August 1.
Speaking to reporters after reviewing the situation and tourism projects with the department officials on Tuesday, the Minister said private players would be invited to establish 5-star and 7-star hotels.
He said as part of the plan to establish new districts, it was decided to name one of them after Alluri Sitarama Raju.
He said the department had incurred a revenue loss to the tune of ₹60 crore on account of the lockdown which saw all tourist destinations shutting down. If there were any repairs to be carried out, they would be done in the next 15 days and from August 1, all tourist destinations would be ready to welcome visitors, he added.
COVID protocols
The Minister said a plan was being prepared to set up 5-star and 7-star hotels in seven places in the State with private participation (PPP mode) and the department would also celebrate and observe birth and death anniversaries respectively of important personalities, in strict adherence of the COVID-19 guidelines.
He said as per Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s plan to establish additional districts, a new district in the Visakhapatnam region would be named after freedom fighter 'Manyam Veerudu' Alluri Sitarama Raju.
The Minister said decentralisation of power would ensure equal distribution of development across the State. Citing the example of Hyderabad in the composite State of Andhra Pradesh where development was centralised, he said the government did not want to repeat the same mistake.
Referring to the explosion in a chemical plant in the Visakhapatnam Pharma City which claimed one life and caused injuries to three others, the Minister said industrial units must give top priority to safety. The Minister said he would hold a meeting with all industrial unit owners in the State next month on safety norms.
Published - July 14, 2020 11:58 pm IST
