Pulicat, Irakam & Nelappattu to be developed as world tourist spots

Nellore: Irakam, Pulicat and Nelapattu areas in Nellore district will be turned into international tourist spots before 2016, said Municipal Administration Minister Dr P Narayana in Sullurpet on Friday, while inaugurating the three-day Flamingo Festival, by releasing a balloon in Narayana College grounds. Ministers Palle Raghunath Rreddy and Peethala Sujata were present.

• Flamingo festival inaugurated
• CM focusing attention on tourism to cut down Rs 16,000-crore deficit budget
• Govt taking cost-cutting measures
• All municipal organisations to have LED lighting in a few months
• Centre ready revive Buckingham Canal

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Narayana stated that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was focusing attention on the tourism sector which had to be compulsorily given a boost to cover the Rs.16,000-crore State budget. He recalled that a small State like Singapore was way ahead in tourism.

Listing the cost-cutting measures taken by the government, the Minister said LED lights were fitted in Hudhud-hit Visakhapatnam, with the Centre’s cooperation and without even spending a rupee, as part of the power-saving exercise. He promised that LED lights would be sanctioned in Sulurpet municipality. Already, 1,000 lights had been fixed in Venkatagiri.

In a few months all municipal organisations in the district would have LED lights Dr Narayana boasted that he was a doer and did not believe in making empty promises. He said the Centre was ready to revive the Buckingham Canal. In this regard plans would be shortly made public. Minister Sujata stated that although she had time constraints for attending the festival, the keen desire to know its importance had made her to change the plan. She was impressed by the people’s keen desire to celebrate the event involving migratory birds.

Minister Raghunath Reddy asserted that the government’s aim was take 15th placed Andhra Pradesh in tourism to the top spot in the country. He forecast that there was a possibility of Nellore district emerging at the top district in the State in tourism, strengthened by the presence of Krishnapatnam Port, Nelapattu and Pulicat bird sanctuaries, several SEZs, besides the SHAR.

Sulurpet MLA Kiliveri Sanjivaiah, Nellore MLC Vakati Narayana Reddy, festival’s main donor Ganga Prasad, MLA Pasam Sunil Kumar and Collector Jananki attended. Flamingo fest begins on subdued note The much-publicised three-day Flamingo Festival was marred by several shortcomings. They included a delayed start, negligent attitude of various government departments in putting up stalls at the prestigious event, failure of officials to highlight the role of migratory birds, and a row over putting up of flexies by various ruling party groups and the absence of SHAR stall. Perhaps, the only redeeming feature was cultural programmes, including orchestra, mimicry and ventriloquism.

The delay in inaugurating the festival was reportedly caused by the three Ministers –Dr P Narayana, Palle Raghunath Reddy and Peethala Sujata – waiting for the crowds to fill the venue. The State Agriculture department failed to highlight its special features in the festival stalls. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a regular feature at the festival stalls, is missing this year. The row over various banners put up by TDP local groups drew flak from people. The pleas of TDP leaders to those on the stage to overlook such minor irritants only strengthened fears of the local groups working at cross purposes.