Godavari basin to become a major tourism attraction

Eluru: Minister for Labour and Employment Pithani Satyanarayana said that the government planned to develop the Godavari basin as a tourism hub like Kerala in the State.

The Minister inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Resort and Restaurant on River Vasistha Godavari bund constructed at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore at Dongaravipalem village in Penugonda mandal of West Godavari district on Saturday. 
 
He also inaugurated boating in River Vasistha and went on a boat ride for some time.
Later addressing the media on the river bund, the Minister said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu decided to develop tourism in the State and accordingly the six-room resort and the restaurant were constructed at Dongaravipalem to attract the tourists besides arranging boating in the river. 

He said that a tourist centre would be constructed at a cost of Rs 7 crore at Sidhantham village and the government sanctioned funds for this.  He said that the river bund will be strengthened by riveting to avoid the erosion of the embankment.  

The Godavari basin areas in both Godavari districts are suitable to develop the tourism. The Minister said that the people were getting attracted towards tourism in the State. He said that the tourist centres constructed in Narsapuram and Pedamallam would be inaugurated soon. 

Achanta Agriculture Marketing Committee chairman Uppalapati Suresh Babu, Penugonda Agriculture Marketing Committee chairman Sanaboyina Gopalakrishna, ZPTC members Rongala Ravi Kumar, Bokka Nageswara Rao, tourism regional director G Bhima Sankar, tourism executive engineer S Srinivasa Rao and others participated in the programme.