Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu has announced a comprehensive plan to develop the Arasavalli Sri Surya Narayana Swamy Temple in Srikakulam District under the PRASAD scheme, aiming to improve facilities for the large number of devotees visiting from across India and abroad. The Union Minister laid the foundation stone for the modernisation of the Indrapushkarini temple tank the previous day.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ram Mohan Naidu said four crore rupees has already been sanctioned for the tank works, while a broader development proposal worth 58 crore rupees has been prepared. The plan includes a modern kitchen, dining halls, accommodation for pilgrims, and improved road connectivity. The works will be taken up in two phases. He noted that pilgrim footfall has increased significantly, particularly after the Ratha Saptami festival was declared a state festival.

Infrastructure improvements, such as road widening and better lighting in Srikakulam, have been taken up to manage the growing number of visitors. The focus, he said, is to develop major spiritual centres into tourism hubs. Later, the Union Minister inaugurated the Kargil Victory Park built at a cost of 2 crore rupees in APHB Colony. The park is dedicated to Kargil war martyr Chintada Mohana Rao and honours 58 soldiers from the Srikakulam district who took part in the war.

He inspected the park’s facilities and said it has been designed to inform visitors, especially the younger generation, about the sacrifices of soldiers, including those who were injured in the war. Officials said the project was completed with the coordinated efforts of the district administration. The Union Minister was joined by State Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu, MLA Gondu Shankar and District Collector Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar.