Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekhar Rao remarked here yesterday that the rulers of undivided Andhra Pradesh had neglected this part of the integrated state. KCR cited the example of many tourist places whose importance was lost on the locals owing to prolonged neglect.

Telangana boasted of world-class tourist centres and scenic places endowed with natural beauty, he said. He added that there were many pilgrim centres, whose significance was not highlighted in the past. Kaleswaram is a major pilgrim centre whose greatness was known to the head of the Sringeri shrine, while Andhra rulers seemed unaware of its importance. The state chief minister conducted a review of the facilities at the lake Adluri Ellareddy on the outskirts of Kamareddy including raising the height of its ayacut and beautification of Tank Bund.

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While criticising rulers from the Andhra region for their neglect of Telangana, he asserted that plans are afoot to transform the state into a region of world-class tourist attraction.

KCR pointed out that though Singapore was a small country, without many scenic places and yet, it promoted tourism in a big way, attracting visitors from all over the world. The chief minister observed that Telangana had extensive forests, rivers, hills, lakes and places endowed with natural beauty. All of these can be preserved and promoted to attract tourists, he added. This was not done by rulers from the Andhra region in undivided AP, who neglected places of tourist and religious interest, he pointed out.