Hyderabad: Kishan Reddy assures development of Rachakonda

Hyderabad: Union Minister of Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday assured that the Centre will extend its cooperation for development of Rachakonda, as a national heritage site, after getting the required information from the State government.

His assurance came when a delegation of Rachakonda Parirakshana Samithi convener Ravinuthala Shashidhar, in the presence of Airport Authority of India Director Dr Kasam Venkateshwarlu, apprised Reddy about the importance of the site and urged him to accord recognition to the Rachakonda as a national heritage site and develop it as a cultural tourism centre.

He said that the Rachakonda Fort, in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, should be declared as a national heritage site. "The fort and ancient temples in Rachakonda should be developed as cultural hubs and surrounding hills, valleys and natural lakes will make it an attractive tourist destination. All these sites are located near Bhagyanagar with immense potential to be an attractive destination for tourists not only from all over the country, but also other countries," he added.

Further, a large number of devotees can visit if the ancient temples in the Rachakonda area are developed by providing adequate transport linkages, he pointed out.

"The development of tribal/village tourism will bring more tourists to Hyderabad, a growing cosmopolitan City. In turn, it helps in creating large-scale employment opportunities for local youth and rural people of Nalgonda, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad districts," he added. They urged Reddy to set up an international tourism center as thousands of acres of government land is available around Rachakonda.