India to press for World Heritage status for Golconda fort

Hyderabad, Apr 6 (UNI) The Centre will press for granting World Heritage status to the magnificent Golconda Fort in Hyderabad by UNESCO, Union Culture Minister Ambika Soni said today.

Built by the Kakityas in the early 13th century, the fort was developed extensively on a 120 metre granite hill during the times of the Qutub Shahi kings in the 16th and 17th century.

The Minister, who inaugurated a tourism mall named after former Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi here in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, told reporters that the Centre was pressing UNESCO for relaxing the rule that only one site from one country could be proposed for granting the status in a year.

Only 16 sites had been given the status though the country had a tangible number of sites deserving such a status, she added.

UNESCO authorities had promised to consider at its next meeting relaxation of the rule for inclusion of more sites in a year, she expained.

She informed that Hampi, World Heritige site in Karnataka, had been brought out of the 'danger list' by taking up renovation works.

According priority to improvement of tourism infrastructure in the country, the UPA Government had formed a Infrastructure Committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself. The Union Cabinet had approved Rs 25 crore for development of tourism destinations and Rs 50 crore for tourism circuit development.

In coordination with the Railway ministry, five new tourism trains would be started and 20 budget hotels would be constructed this year, she informed.

Commending the State Government for promoting rural tourism, she wanted all states to replicate it as it had great potential to generate large number of jobs in the rural areas for artisans.

UNI