Visakhapatnam :
Lambasingi, often touted as the Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh, will be developed as a tourist spot in the upcoming year as the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) in association with Union ministry of tourism has come forward to develop tourism projects at a cost of Rs 9 crore in the hamlet. The serene hamlet located in Chintapalli mandal of Visakhapatnam Agency sees temperatures go down as low as zero and sub-zero conditions during December-January every year.
As part of the facelift planned for Lambasingi, a resort will come up in an area of six acres at a cost of Rs 5 crore, and a botanical garden in an area of 37 acres at a cost of Rs 4 crore is also on the list. The APTDC recently sent a detailed project report (DPR) of the projects to the Centre, which has assured to financially support the corporation. The state government, on its part, has supported the project by converting the forest and tribal land and transferring it to the Tourism department to be used only for tourism development purpose.
The village, situated at a height of 1,000 metres above the mean sea level, with cold weather conditions (zero degree Celsius in winter and below 10 degree Celsius entire year), is an ideal spot for tourists. G Bheemasankara Rao, general manager for Visakhapatnam division of the APTDC, said the corporation took the decision of developing the area as a tourism spot because of the existing climatic conditions and tourist influx. The area is also famous for coffee and pepper plantations which are being cultivated since the British regime in the country. Coffee grown here is exported to other countries, including the USA, said a senior official from the Coffee Board of India.
“There is hardly any hut at Lambasingi, but are coming up very fast because of the scenic beauty of the place particularly in winter. So we decided to set up the two projects at a cost of Rs 9 crore. The state government has already given 43 acres of the tribal land to the tourism department. We are waiting for the centre’s fund which we may get in two months. Once the funds are released we will start ground works of the projects, which may be completed by next winter,” Bheemasankara Rao told TOI.
Apart from Lambasingi, the corporation has also selected two hot spots in Paderu, headquarters of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) of Visakhapatnam district, for tourism projects at a cost of Rs 8 crore. The corporation identified a five acres piece of land in Paderu for developing a butterfly park at a cost of Rs 3 crore, and establishing a resort in an area of six acres at a cost of Rs 5 crore in the same area. In addition to that, the corporation has also identified a beach spot at Revupolavaram near Nakkapalli to develop a resort along the beach at a cost of Rs 5 crore.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / December 30th, 2014