15 hours ago
Andhra Pradesh government transfers Ambedkar Park to cultural department for revenue enchancement
Vijayawada: Envisaging the promotion of art, culture, and heritage through regular cultural programmes, the state government has ordered the transfer of the Dr B R Ambedkar Smriti Vanam Park, located at Swaraj Maidan in the heart of Vijayawada city, from the Social Welfare Department to the Director of Cultural Affairs under the administrative control of the Youth Advancement, Tourism, and Culture department.
The transfer of the Rs 404-crore Dr B R Ambedkar Smriti Vanam Park project from the Welfare department is expected to boost the park's development. The government is determined to complete the pending Phase-II development works and utilize the park to its fullest potential, thereby attracting more visitors in the coming days.
The previous YSRCP government undertook the construction of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Smriti Vanam Park at Swaraj Maidan in two phases and completed Phase I of the project — installation of the 125-foot Ambedkar statue, including park development and other works, costing Rs 297.71 crore, which was Rs 29.25 crore more than the initial estimate.
Subsequently, the previous government granted administrative sanction for Rs 106.64 crore worth of Phase II works, including the development of a state-of-the-art convention centre, food courts, and other amenities. Progress on these works has been moving at a snail's pace due to unpaid bills to the contractor.
As a result, construction of the convention centre, food court, and other leisure amenities came to a grinding halt at the Smriti Vanam premises, while the statue works were completed and opened to visitors.
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Given the limited revenue generated through entry ticket sales, the government has been finding it increasingly difficult to maintain operations such as paying salaries to staff working at the Smriti Vanam Park. Hence, the government aims to complete the pending works of the convention centre and food courts and generate additional revenue by leasing them to private entities to enhance the park's income.
"The previous government, in a hasty manner, installed the 125-foot Ambedkar statue but failed to complete other works such as the convention centre, food courts, and a lift to the top of the statue. As a result, visitor turnout remained low. If these pending works had been completed on time, the revenue would have been much higher, making the park financially self-reliant," a senior NTR district administration official told TOI.
