Jupally Requests Centre for Funds, Projects

Hyderabad: Tourism minister Jupally Krishna Rao urged Union tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to extend support for developing the state's tourism sector, highlighting Telangana's abundant resources and potential for tourism growth.

During a meeting at Shekhawat's camp office in Delhi on Saturday, Krishna Rao said that with adequate funding, the state could achieve significant growth in the tourism sector. Responding positively, Shekhawat assured full support for Telangana's tourism initiatives.

Later, speaking with mediapersons, Krishna Rao shared state's comprehensive plans for tourism development and outlined the favourable conditions in Telangana for eco-tourism, adventure tourism, temple tourism and health and wellness tourism. The state government had allocated funds in the annual Budget, but the Centre’s cooperation for the completion of these projects was necessary, he said.

In his meeting with Union transport and national highways minister Nitin Gadkari, Krishna Rao requested him to expedite the construction of the iconic double-decker cable-stayed bridge between Somasila (Telangana) and Sangameshwara (Andhra Pradesh) on the Krishna River. This bridge, an ambitious project with an estimated cost of Rs.1,082.56 crore, has been pending for two years.

It would reduce the distance between Telangana and Tirupati by 70-80 km and decrease travel time by 90 minutes, he said. The bridge, surrounded by the Srisailam reservoir, Nallamala forests and mountains, will remove the need for boat crossings.

Minister Gadkari assured the minister that the tendering process for the bridge will begin by the end of September. Krishna Rao also requested the upgrading of 203.5 km of road between Alampur cross road (NH-44) and Nalgonda (NH 565) to a national highway.