Resort facility to come up at Maredumilli

Rampachodavaram: A resort complex with 20 cottages would be built at a cost Rs.8 crore, said the District Collector H Arun Kumar. The Collector H Arun Kumar who chaired the general body meeting of ITDA here on Tuesday informed that the meeting resolved to build Resorts Complex at Maredumilli at a cost of Rs.8 crore.

The ‘resort complex’ will house 20 cottages, one hotel, swimming pool, wayside amenities and a petrol bunk, added the Collector.

Local tribal would be benefitted by the proposed complex as direct and indirect employment would be provided to the former through different tourism packages, said the Collector.

Further, the resort complex that is going to be built in Rampachodavaram and Maredumilli agency areas will be environment-friendly, said the Collector. Ahead of the beginning of meeting, members raised different issues including ill-treating of ST students by the Director of Holy Angles School, Rajamahendravaram, suspension of an employee belonging to Bommuru tribal school and other issues.

Detailing the steps taken on the issue, the Collector said that police had already registered a case against Madhusudhana Rao, the director of Holly Angles School under the prevention of atrocities on the SC/ST Act.

Besides, the Assistant Tribal Welfare Officer (ATWO) had been instructed to inspect the school every month and submit a report to him on the happenings at the school, informed the Collector.

He said that an ATWO was suspended following the incidents happened at Bommuru tribal Ashram school, where girls were assaulted sexually.

MLC Reddy Subrahmanyam questioned as to why the general body was not being conducted regularly. The Collector assured him that henceforth the district administration would take steps to conduct quarterly meeting as well as annual meeting in time.

120 teacher posts got filled up out of 165 through special DSC in agency areas and from the next academic year, 340 teacher posts in both ITDAs (Chinturu and Rampachodavaram) through the DSC, added the Collector.

Though the government was ready to pay a month salary of Rs.1.30 lakhs, specialist doctors were not showing interest to work in Chinturu and Addateegala agencies, said the Collector.

Following the reluctant attitude of doctors, PG students of Kakinada Government College had been asked to work in agencies at least once in a month, said the Collector.

Under the ‘Anna Deevena’ programme, the government is supplying food kits to pregnant women and red gram at the rate of Rs.60 per kg through district ration depots, added.

Out of 18 PHCs, 9 are equipped with ambulances and 5 more were being provided by the MPs. Further, efforts are underway to get the remaining 5 ambulances, said the Collector.

In addition to all this, there is an active proposal to make Donkarai as the mandal headquarters and the Land Commissioner is looking into this issue, added the Collector. As per the Tribal Rights Act, 2013 Polavaram (R &R package) amount will be distributed and 150 working days would be made to each tribal.

MP Kothapalli Geetha (Araku) sought the appointment of only female wardens at girls’ ashram schools and tribal girls’ hostels.

Kakinada MP Thota Narasimham took up the issue of Tribal Sub-Plan villages which are 52 in 5 tribal sub-plan mandals.

T Ratnabai, Rajya Sabha Member alleged that ITDA officials were escalating the construction cost deliberately through delaying roads, buildings and others work.

A S Dinesh Kumar, ITDA’s Project Officer, ITDA replied that no such delay took place in the last three months and he would enquire into the matter.

ZP Chairman N Rambabu, DSO Ravikiran, Transco SE KN S Prasad, DFO Ramesh, DMHO K. Chandraiah and others participated in the general body meeting.