VIJAYAWADA: With Kondaveedu fort being in close proximity to Amaravati, the State government is chalking out plans to turn the historic place into a hill station with a resort. The CRDA officials, who are expecting a significant increase in the tourist footfalls in the coming years, said that developmental activity would begin soon. Officials said that various projects would be taken up by the tourism, endowments, archaeology, roads and buildings and electricity departments.
As part of this, the roads and buildings department would first lay a ghat road atop the 14th century fort at an estimated cost of Rs12 crore. “We have already taken up various projects, including laying of a 5-km road from Phirangipuram to the hilltop, to develop the fort.
They are nearing completion. Now, we have decided to further improve the facilities and develop the fort into a hill resort as it is close to the new capital of the State,” a senior official involved in the project said. The official added that the State government has recently given administrative sanction to take up the project. The official explained that a 660-metre road would be laid from the end point of the existing ghat road to reach old temples, guest houses, river tanks and other areas of the fort.
“The fort can be developed as a future hill station to the capital city of Amaravati, which can generate revenue to the government,” the official explained. The ghat road development works atop the fort would begin shortly, the official added, and are expected to be completed before the end of 2018. “Once the road is laid and the footfalls pick up, tourism, endowments and archaeology departments will prepare requisite plans for development of resorts, temples and others to tap the tourism potential,” the official remarked.
Development works
The State has given administrative sanction to take up the project
A 660-metre road would be laid from the end point of the existing ghat road to reach old temples