Fun zone at Padmavati Ghat

Vijayawada: Padmavati ghat on the north bank of river Krishna and located very near to the Pandit Nehru Station will get a face-lift very soon as the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) signed an MoU with a private company Jaan Entertainment Private Limited for its development as a recreation zone. 

Jaan Entertainment Private Limited will invest Rs 6 crore for setting up of play zone for kids, game zone for adults, facilities for adventure games, food courts, cultural stage-every weekend cultural activities and fireworks on major events and festivals-would be staged. The objective of the state government and the municipal corporation for the river front development will be partially fulfilled with the development of Padmavati Ghat.

The municipal council has given a nod for leasing the land to a private party. So far, restaurants and boating were being developed upstream of the Prakasam Barrage only at Berm Park, Bhavani Ghat and Pavitra Sangamam in Ibrahimpatnam.

Now, for the first time, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is trying to develop the ghats downstream of the Prakasam Barrage in order to promote tourism. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation will get Rs 24.50 lakh every year for leasing the land. Lease tenure is seven years.

On Tuesday, Municipal Commissioner J Nivas and CEO of Jaan Entertainment Private Limited Jayanarayana Kureti signed the MoU and exchanged the copies at the VMC main office.

Later, speaking to the reporters, Commissioner Nivas said the food court, restaurant and play zone will be within the reach of common people. He said only temporary structures will be built at the ghat so that they can be easily dismantled by next Krishna Pushkaralu. He said that Mayor Koneru Sridhar and city MLAs, the officials will attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction works on May 7. 

He said there will be no entry fee and construction works would be completed in two years. Commissioner Nivas said the civic body has decided to lease some area behind Inox on Sambamurthy Road for setting up of food parks. He said tenders will be called soon for setting up of food court but very limited stalls will be allowed on the roadside, he added.