VIJAYAWADA: If everything goes as planned, the much-touted Shilparamam will be established in the city on the lines of Visakhapatnam. Though the project was mooted three years ago, the government is dilly-dallying with the land allotment, putting the pro j e c t i n a stat e o f uncertainty. At present, the city has a Shilparamam office and officials concerned are mulling identifying suitable land for the project. In 2019, the then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had directed the officials concerned to allocate 15 to 20 acres of land.
However, due to unavailability of suitable land in Vijayawada, the project was shelved temporarily. Recently, Shiliparamam Chief Executive O f f i c e r B Jayaraj has reportedly written a letter to District Collector A Md Imtiaz seeking him to provide at least 10 to 15 acres of land for establishing a Shilparamam in the city. In his letter, Jayaraj also stressed the need for establishing the facility in the city to promote handicrafts and traditional artisans.
Jayaraj said apart from Vijayawada, Shilparamams were set up in Pulivendula, Anantapur, Puttaparthi, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram. “At present, works are underway in Chittoor and when it comes to Krishna district, we have started identifying a suitable land in Vijayawada. Once the facility is established, it will provide a platform for the artisans to display their products, he added.