Hyderabad: Aiming to attract more domestic and international tourists, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy ordered the officials to formulate a new Tourism Policy for the development of more tourist destinations in the Telangana state. The officials have been asked to study the tourism policies of other states which are ranked the best in the country in attracting the tourists and adopt the suitable policies from them for the state.
As part of the SPEED (Smart Proactive Efficient and Effective Delivery) review, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy held a meeting with top officials on Tourism Development projects at the Secretariat today ( Friday).
The high level meeting decided to formulate separate policies for the development of Temple Tourism, Eco Tourism and Health Tourism. The Chief Minister directed the officials to promote all the ancient temples, historical places, forest areas and medical facilities in the Telangana state as the most attractive destinations for tourism. The officials were instructed to introduce new tourism packages which includes transportation, accommodation and all the necessary facilities for tourists. The CM asked the forest officials to explore the possibility of establishing safaris in the forest areas of Kawal Tiger Reserve and Amrabad and also construct cottages for overnight stays at some places. All the suitable areas for tourism will be identified and the officials of Tourism, Endowments and Forest Department jointly decide which project should be developed on a priority.
The CM emphasised that the development of infrastructure mainly Haritha Hotels and guest houses is not enough and its proper maintenance and management to attract tourists should be given top priority. Mr Revanth Reddy further suggested that all the new projects should be taken up with government and private partnership and also made it clear that the promotion of tourism should help for the development of the state along with job creation.
The Chief Minister announced that a new zoo park will be established outside Hyderabad in an area of about 1,000 acres. The zoo park will be developed with a variety of Animals and Birds from different areas. The development of urban forest will also be given priority in the tourism development. The establishment of Vanatara Wildlife Conservation center in 3,000 acres in Jamnagar by Anant Ambani was discussed in the meeting. The CM asked the officials to invite industrialists and organizations to set up such facilities in the state.
He decided to use 200 acres of government land to develop Health Tourism at the natural forest area in Ananthagiri region. The meeting discussed setting up a Nature Wellness center on the lines of Jindal Nature Cure Institute in Bangalore. The officials were asked to consult the representatives of Jindal company to develop a wellness centre and also invite noted organizations in the field of naturopathy to open their centers in the state.
The Chief Minister ordered the officials to constitute the Yadagirigutta Temple Board on the lines of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board. The CM asked the officials to amend the law, if necessary, to ensure that the board functions as an autonomous body and due process in the same manner as followed by TTD. He enquired about the progress in the works in the temple and asked the officials to start gold plating work for the Raja Gopuram of Yadagirigutta temple. Serious on the incompleteness of the works, the CM asked the officials to submit a detailed report on the status of the works in the temple within a week. Donors and corporate organizations will be invited for the construction of cottages and other facilities in the temple premises. The CM wanted the Yadagirigutta to be designed and developed as a wonderful spiritual center to meet future needs.
The Chief Minister also decided to renovate the Ramalingeshwara Swamy temple which is located at Keesaragutta in a magnificent manner. The temple will be developed as a replica of the world famous Ramappa temple in Mulugu district. The CM suggested not using the sandbox technology . The keesara temple will be reconstructed similar to Ramappa temple by using the available advanced technology.
The Chief Minister asked the officials to prepare plans for the development of health tourism in the Health City in 1000 acres in the Fourth City of Hyderabad. The government will formulate a new policy so that the companies that come forward to set up their centers here will get adequate incentives. The health city will provide one stop solution packages for medical services to those coming from different countries. The details of all the services will be made available online and the visitors will directly move from the airport to the hospital, get the doctor’s appointment and undergo treatment. The CM asserted that Hyderabad should be developed as a medical tourism hub to attract the attention of all in the country in the future.
The State Tourism Minister Jupalli Krishna Rao, Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Patel Ramesh Reddy, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Tourism Principal Secretary Vani Prasad, Industries Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Revenue Secretary Sailaja Ramayyar, Endowments Commissioner Hanumantha Rao, Health Secretary Christiana, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dobrial and other senior officers of various departments participated in the meeting.
