Rajamahendravaram: CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to inaugurate tourism control rooms soon

Rajamahendravaram: The tourism department has completed the construction of nine tourism control rooms in various districts across the state. The officials are planning to inaugurate them in the second week of March with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

As many as 50 tourists died in a boat capsize in river Godavari at Kachhuluru village of Devipatnam mandal in East Godavari district during September 2019. With this, the boating operations to Papi Hills were stopped as per the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy until proper pre-cautionary measures taken including construction of control rooms to monitor the movement of tourist boats in the rivers.

As part of it, Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy laid foundation stone to the control rooms in the last leg of 2019. Out of nine tourism control rooms, three rooms sanctioned for East Godavari, two for West Godavari and one each for Krishna and Guntur, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam districts. The government has sanctioned Rs 1.62 crore for the construction of control rooms.

According to an official of tourism department, of the total amount Rs 30 lakh allotted for control room at Rajamahendravaram,

Rs 22 lakh will be for control room at Singanapalli, Rs 20 lakh to the control room at Perantalapalli and Rs 20 lakh each to control rooms at Polavaram and Gandiposamma temple. The control rooms consists of 11 employees including two employees from tourism department, one assistant engineer from irrigation department, one tahsildar from revenue department, two constables from police department, two employees to sell tickets, one swimmer, boat driver and night guard. The tourist boats were allowed to move after getting permission from the respective control rooms and walkie talkies provided to boatmen to contact control rooms if the mobile phones are not working. Meanwhile, the control room consists of waiting hall, office room, washroom, store room, hall and booking counters. The tourist boats can carry tourists after inaugurating the tourism control rooms.