Cabinet to take a decision on Rushikonda

The government will soon take a decision through the Cabinet on how to put the Rushikonda palace in Visakhapatnam city of Andhra Pradesh to use, the Cabinet Sub-Committee decided at its meeting held on Tuesday.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee, constituted by the coalition government to examine the utilisation of the Rushikonda buildings, held its fifth meeting at the Secretariat in Amaravati. Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh chaired the meeting at his office in Secretariat, while Ministers Payyavula Keshav (Finance) and Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy (Social Welfare) participated virtually.

Speaking to media, Mr. Durgesh said the committee deliberated on earlier decisions taken in the previous four meetings and explored options to open the Rushikonda palace in Visakhapatnam for public visits while also converting it into a revenue-generating asset for the government.

The committee noted that, as per CRZ norms, 2,400 square metres of land is available on the hilltop and another 2,400 square metres at the foothill, totalling 4,800 square metres. Discussions were held on how best to utilise the available land in a manner beneficial to the public.

Minister Durgesh said the panel is focusing on proper utilisation of the property and revealed that international hospitality groups such as Taj Hotels, Atmosphere Core, the Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts, and Fema Hotels have shown interest in managing the facility.

He expressed concern that due to wrong decisions taken by the previous YSRCP government, nearly Rs. 25 lakh per month of public money is being spent on maintenance and electricity alone.

The committee will submit its final report to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, after which the State Cabinet will take a final call.