District Collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar has called upon the tribal communities to extend their support towards eco-friendly tourism projects proposed at Vanjangi, popularly known as 'Meghala Kondalu' and also the 'Madagada' view point, in Alluri Sitharama Raju district. He assured that all developmental activities would be carried out in a manner benefitting the tribal communities.

The ASR district administration on Wednesday organised a coordination meeting under the chairmanship of the Collector to discuss the development of Vanjangi in the Paderu Forest Division and the Madagada View Point in the Araku Forest Division. The Collector held two separate meetings with the public representatives, tribals and community leaders from the villages of Vanjangi, Lagisapalli, and Kaderu panchayats in Paderu mandal, and Madagada panchayat and Pakanaguda village in Araku mandal.

The two tourist spots - Vanjangi near Paderu and Madgada near Araku, have been drawing a large number of tourists from Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring States for the past few years. While the government plans to boost the tourist spots with better amenities, there are some misconceptions about the proposed projects among the tribals, the Collector said.

During the meeting, Mr Dinesh Kumar interacted with the tribals and heard their opinions on the proposed tourism projects. He said that under the supervision of the Forest Protection Committee, the administration would prepare development plans in coordination with the locals, forest, and revenue departments.

"Since the proposed tourism spots are located within the reserved forest areas, utmost priority will be given to the local opinions and development works would be carried out without harming the environment. These tourism projects will generate economic opportunities and improve the living standards of local communities," Mr Dinesh Kumar informed the tribals.

The district administration will organise a series of meetings to receive suggestions and will act accordingly. The administration, with the support of ITDA Project, Forest, Revenue, and Panchayat Raj Departments, would assess the feasibility of establishing community-based eco-tourism initiatives. The Collector urged the tribals not to believe in any misinformation about projects.

ITDA Project Officer - Paderu, T Pooja, DFO, P.V. Sandeep Reddy, sarpanches of Vanajangi, Lagisapalli, Kaderu, and Madagada panchayats and others attended the meeting.

Collector urges tribals to support eco-tourism projects in Vanjangi, Madagada