40-foot Buddha statue to come up near Vijayawada

​Visakhapatnam: A 40-feet Buddha statue is likely to come up atop a hill at Seethnagaram in Guntur district. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation is looking for a consultant to prepare a technical and feasibility report after which tenders will be floated.

“Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who is keen on development of archeological sites and Buddhist circuits, has asked the corporation to take immediate initiative,’’ said Managing Director of APTDC M Girija Shankar.

The proposed statue will be a new attraction for the tourists visiting Andhra Pradesh. A 45-feett statue of Lord Buddha is located in Bhutan.

Similarly, efforts are also being made to invite Dalai Lama for the Kalachakra which would be held in Amaravati either towards the end of December 2017 or in the first week of Jnauary, 2018.

Kalachakra attended by Dalai Lama will popularise the Buddhist shrines in the State, Girija Shankar said. Similarly, an amount of Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for development of five Buddhist shrines Thotlakonda, Bavikonda, Sankaram, Salihundam and Bojjannakonda.

Speaking about the upcoming tourism projects in the State, the Managing Director said the corporation has hired a London-based consultant Raj Singh for the cruise tourism in backwaters of Godavari and from Visakhapatnam to Baruva (Srikakulam).

APTDC is also focusing on water sports in a big way by launching heli-tourism and seaplane sorties. A master plan is also being prepared for the development of all beaches in the State right from Itchapuram to Tada and in Konaseema. Hotels, resorts and restaurants would be build all along the highway.

On popular demand, the corporation is making immediate plans to build cottages in Lambasingi for which an amount of Rs 40 crore would be spent over the next five years.

Cottages and infrastructure would be build with APTDC funds and the project would be handed over to a private agency.