Bheemili Site Confirmed for INS Viraat Museum

The Bheemili beach has been zeroed in for setting up the INS Viraat museum by the State tourism officials. The request for proposal (RfP) for preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) has been floated revealing the detailed cost estimates for refurbishment and conversion of INS Viraat into a major tourist destination at the proposed site near the Bheemii Beach.

R Sreeramulu Naidu, the AP tourism executive director said that they have identified three sites which include Bheemili, Rushikonda and the beach front opposite to the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in the city out of which they have finalized Bheemili after immense studying of all the three areas. At Bheemili, there is vast government land which can be utilized for tourism projects. Apart from this a jetty that is also coming up under the Union shipping ministry’s Sagaramala project which will be adding on to tourism.

“We will finalise suitable agency for preparing the DPR in the next one week. We hope the DPR will be prepared in the next one or two months. The pre-bidding meeting will be held in the city on April 2. Once the DPR is prepared, we will approach the Union ministries for sending INS Viraat to the state,” Sreeramulu Naidu said. The tourism officials will however ask the agency to guide the department in funding schemes across the globe.

It is said that some of the agencies have an idea of sources for funding a giant project like the INS Viraat. However, in RfP the tourism officials have stated about the scope of work which consists of preparation of cost estimates and the contact details of service providers for towing the ship from Mumbai to Vizag.