Union Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi on Sunday inaugurated Kovalam development project which is intended to make this internationally-renowned locality more tourist-friendly.
The Rs 8 crore project envisages comprehensive development of tourist amenities, including construction of walkways, landscaping and lighting.
MoS for HRD Shashi Tharoor, Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar, Mayor K Chandrika, District Panchayat vice-president Rufus Daniel, Councillors Sudhir Khan and Gladis Alex were present.
The package involves a walkway from Samudra to the harbour and also its beautification.
Sufficient lighting at night, which was a demand of the tourists and the local people in the Kovalam harbour region is also included in the project.
A Tourist Facilitation centre will be set up in the 50 cents of land in Kovalam.
‘I Have Not Betrayed Andhra People’
T’Puram: Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi, who had earlier opposed the Telangana Bill and sought amendments, on Sunday said that he had not betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh and had fought for a united Andhra till the last minute. “The Centre has accepted all the demands put forth for the Seemandhra region. Though I had fought for a united Andhra, I accept the Congress High Command’s decision,” he said. Stating that it was the BJP, CPM, CPI and other parties that had earlier demanded the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Chiranjeevi said that the Congress had taken a decision only recently. “As such the party cannot be blamed,” he said, adding that he does not agree with N Kiran Kumar Reddy who resigned as the CM on the issue.