As part of tourism promotion, the East Godavari district administration and Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) are jointly organising a three-day tourism festival ‘Manyam Jatara’ from Saturday.
Collector H. Arun Kumar and ITDA Project Officer K. Chakradhara Babu on Friday inspected the work being done at ‘Vana Vihari’ forest recreation centre where the jatara will begin on Saturday evening. They held a meeting with forest, tourism, roads and buildings, tribal welfare and other departments.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Arun Kumar said the jatara, being organised at ‘Vana Vihari’ Tourism Park in Maredumilli, was to develop the Agency as a tourism hub. He said that the meeting resolved to construct two view-points at Ghati village on the way to Chinturu and Bhadrachalam for tourists to take a break. He also said that the Forest Department would renovate, modernise and reconstruct forest cottages in Kolluru, Rampachodavaram and Maredumilli.
He asked the officials to lay roads to Rampa waterfalls at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh, which was sanctioned already. He said the Tourism Department would operate pedal boats in Bhupathipalem Reservoir to attract tourists, besides constructing a guesthouse.
Tribals from other ITDAs
ITDA Project Officer Mr. Chakradhara Babu said that jatara would reflect the customs, traditions and culture of tribals in seven mandals in Rampachodavaram revenue division and four mandals in the newly-formed Yetapaka Revenue Division, including Chintoor, Kunavaram, Burgumpadu, Veerulapadu, Kukkanur, Vara Ramachandrapuram (V.R. Puram) and Bhadrachalam, except the temple town. Mr. Babu also said that tribals from all the ITDAs were invited to participate and exhibit their culture. The jatara would comprise 60 per cent local tribes and 40 per cent people from other districts. He said food items, products of GCC and different varieties of bamboo products would be exhibited during the festival.
M. Ravi Kumar, Conservator of Forest, Sub-Collector P. Ravi and others participated