Pawan Kalyan: We Have Submitted Proposals for Seven Tourism Projects

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, currently in Delhi, met with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday morning. After their meeting, Pawan addressed the media, expressing his respect for Gajendra Singh and acknowledging his cooperation on the Polavaram project as the Minister of Water Resources.

He announced that they have submitted proposals for seven projects in the tourism sector, highlighting that Andhra Pradesh boasts a 975-kilometer coastline and that Gandikota could be developed to resemble the Indian Grand Canyon. Additionally, he requested the establishment of a tourism university in the state, to which the Union Minister responded positively.

While in Delhi, Pawan Kalyan has a series of meetings scheduled with various central ministers to discuss funding for the state, pending projects, and other issues.

On Tuesday, he met Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and has appointments throughout the day, including with the Union Jal Shakti Minister at 1 PM, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at 3:15 PM, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav at 4:30 PM, and Panchayati Raj Minister Lalan Singh at 5:15 PM.

He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on Wednesday morning. This marks Pawan Kalyan's second visit to Delhi since taking office as Deputy CM. He had previously met with Union Minister Amit Shah, who has invited him to campaign in the Maharashtra elections.

*Adventure Theme Parks in Andhra Pradesh*

Pawan Kalyan emphasized the need to establish adventure theme parks in Andhra Pradesh, similar to those already set up for students in Karnataka and Kerala.

He noted that there are elephant camps in Nandyal and beautiful hilly areas in Gandikota and Horseley Hills that could attract tourists. He suggested that promoting these locations through films could be beneficial, as featured spots in movies often serve as effective advertisements.

During discussions with the Chief Minister, the issue of tourism policing, raised by forest officials, became a topic of concern. Pawan noted that many temples in the state have transformed into picnic spots and stressed the importance of maintaining their sanctity. He recommended creating awareness about conduct and dress codes within temple premises.

He also pointed out that heritage sites have been exploited by past rulers for selfish interests, stressing the need to identify and protect these sites. Ensuring the safety of tourists, he asserted, is of utmost importance.

The meeting included key officials such as State Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh, R&B Minister BC Janardhan Reddy, Endowments Commissioner S. Satyanarayana, Tourism Secretary V. Vinay Chand, and senior officials from the respective departments.