Visakhapatnam: Rushikonda hill to house CM’s camp office

Visakhapatnam : After a long wait, clarity on the construction works carried out at Rushikonda has finally surfaced. YSRCP ministers, MLAs kept reiterating that the tourism project was taken up at the hills from the beginning.

Following the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s repeated announcements during different occasions that he will be shifting to Visakhapatnam, works at Rushikonda gain a brisk pace and most of the project work is now on the verge of completion.

Four blocks, including Vangi, Kalinga, Gajapathi and Vizianagara are coming up on the hills. The Chief Minister’s office is likely to be set up at Kalinga block which is located at the ground floor, while his residence is expected to be accommodated at Vizianagara block. So far, the state government has spent over Rs 400 crore for the project taken up at Rushikonda in three different phases. According to sources, crores of rupees have been spent for greenery, landscaping and special lighting and other beautification works.

Apart from a separate sub-station, BT roads, hassle-free drainage system and beautification works are inching towards completion. Also, special attention is paid on interior designing of the CM’s residence.

Earlier, the hill housed AP Tourism’s resort comprising a dozen buildings, 34 rooms, a restaurant and a conference hall. Back then, tourism officials mentioned that a new tourism project would replace the existing one.

Much later, the government constituted a committee including Special Chief Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Special Chief Secretary, finance department and secretary, services and HRM and it will find a conducive accommodation for the offices and submit a report to the General Administration Department. But there is no time frame defined for the submission of the report.

Meanwhile, the Opposition party leaders have been making a big hue and cry as no other tourism project is being developed on a similar scale like Rushikonda by investing crores of funds. For quite a long time, they have been predicting that the works taken up at the hills were related to the CM’s camp office but the ruling party has been brushing it aside until recently.