Vizag Collector refutes claims of proposing AP State guest house at Thotlakonda

The Andhra Pradesh (AP) government had earlier proposed to construct the State guest house in Vizag. In line with the state government’s directives, a committee, led by Visakhapatnam District Collector, V Vinay Chand, has identified the site at Greyhounds Hill for construction of the guest house at Kapuluppada in Bheemili. In the latest, Visakhapatnam Buddhist representatives voiced against the proposal stating that it will hamper Thotlakonda, a Buddhist heritage site in the city. Refuting the claims, Visakhapatnam District Collector, V Vinay Chand (IAS), clarified that the construction of the proposed new State guest house would in no way affect Thotlakonda. 

The District Collector informed that as per the orders issued by Andhra Pradesh High Court, 120.88 acres are under the Andhra Pradesh Department of Archaeology and Museums. The rest of the land is owned by the AP state government. The upcoming State guest house will be built in the land assigned to the AP Police Department. In a conversation with Yo! Vizag, an official from Visakhapatnam District Collectorate, said that there’s at least a distance of 5 kilometres from Thotlakonda to the proposed site of the AP State guest house. He further added that the state government is yet to give a nod to the proposal. AP Tourism Minister, Muttamsetti Srinivasarao too has reiterated the same, stating that the government is committed to protecting historical structures.

The project will be built on a 30-acre site under the supervision of the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) to accommodate the top bureaucrats during their visit to the city. The State guest house will be accommodated with the state-of-the-art facilities with landscaping designs, sophisticated parking lots, and infrastructure. After signing an agreement with the selected consultant on 4 September, the officials are planning to begin the project on 7 September.