Development of Kondapalli Quilla jinxed?
VIJAYAWADA: The historic Kondapalli Fort, which has the potential of being developed into a sought-after tourist destination, may take some more years to achieve its rightful place on the AP tourism map.
Neglected for decades by the successive state governments, the Union government had earlier raised the hope of it being transformed into a popular tourist spot by bringing it under the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) scheme.
As part of the PURA project, Kondapalli and Ibrahimpatnam village panchayats on the banks of river Krishna were formed as a cluster to provide amenities on par with urban areas at an estimated cost of `187 crore. Besides, the government had also decided to develop the 'Kondapalli Mega Tourist Circuit' with `53 crore.
The then Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh launched the project in the presence of former CM Kiran Kumar Reddy in May 2013.
Agreements were signed by the Union government and Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) for the works related to the project. Thirteen years was the concessional period given to MEIL - three years for construction and 10 years for maintenance.
The Archaeology Department had even issued the No Objection Certificate (NOC) and the works were supposed to have started at in April, 2014, and completed within 18 months. However, the works have not been grounded yet. And what's worse, the project reportedly might even be shelved altogether for various reasons.
According to sources in the Department, though the NOC was duly issued under the PURA scheme, MEIL is yet to initiate the works. The Archaeology Department is making its own efforts to popularise the fort by taking up restoration in spite of funds crunch.
News Posted: 4 August, 2014
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