Lanka Dinakar, chairman of Twenty-Point Programme, during a review meeting with Tourism Department officials at R&B Guest House in Nellore on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
The tourism ecosystem must be strengthened with the support of the Central government funds under various schemes in SPSR Nellore district, Lanka Dinakar, chairman of Twenty-Point Programme (Viksit Bharat – Swarna Andhra Pradesh) Implementation Committee, said at a review meeting with the district Tourism Department officials here on Tuesday (November 25, 2025).
The meeting focussed on tourism development as the stepping stone for economic growth and employment generation in the district. He asked the officials to make use of the funds being released under the schemes – Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD), Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and SASCI scheme (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment).
The PRASAD scheme aims to develop and rejuvenate pilgrimage and spiritual sites across the country, while Swadesh Darshan 2.0. is a revamped scheme to develop sustainable tourism, covering tourism and allied infrastructure, and the SASCI scheme is to develop iconic tourist destinations into global-scale attractions, providing funds for infrastructure, branding, and marketing.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Dinakar said, “The tourism sector in Nellore district has immense potential to generate employment for the local youth. The district possesses rich natural, cultural, and spiritual tourism assets which, if properly developed, will significantly boost the local economy.
He further said, “To unlock the employment potential inherent in the tourism sector, the officials must offer high-quality and reliable infrastructure at tourist spots, promote the district’s cultural and heritage assets through wide-reaching publicity and awareness campaigns, and attract maximum tourist footfalls by improving access, amenities, safety, and service delivery.”
“Although Mypadu Beach has strong potential as a coastal tourism hub, the visitors continue to face hardships due to poor infrastructure and inadequate maintenance of existing facilities,” the Twenty-Point Programme chairman said, instructing the Tourism Department officials to develop the coastline in the district with modern amenities to transform it into a premier tourist destination.
The officials have prepared proposals worth ₹77 lakh for modernisation of current facilities at Mypadu Beach. They have prepared Detailed Project Report (DPR) proposals for major tourism development of Pinakini Satyagraha Gandhi Ashram at Pallipadu, with ₹26.04 crore and Udayagiri Fort and Sri Narasimha Swamy Temple heritage and infrastructure development with ₹36.50 crore.
Similarly, the proposals were made for the development of Sri Ranganayakula Temple in Udayagiri with ₹13.25 crore, Sri Krishna Temple with ₹2.45 crore, Kurugonda–Kanigiri Reservoir Tourism Centre at Buchchi Reddy Palem with ₹22.23 crore and Penusila Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Penchalakona with ₹20.62 crore.
Published – November 25, 2025 06:47 pm IST
