11 Telangana forts, one big experiment: Tourism Dept invites private investors to conserve and operate tourism facilities

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The fort in Bhongir is one among the 11 forts in Telangana the State Tourism department wants to conserve and develop. File | Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF

From Bhongir’s Fort — one of the largest batholith — to the sprawling ruins of Devarakonda and the medieval walls of Rachakonda, Telangana’s historic forts could soon get a new lease of life. The Telangana Tourism Department is looking for private investors and tourism companies to help conserve, develop and operate tourism facilities around 11 historic forts under a proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The idea is to bring private investment and tourism expertise into heritage sites, create visitor experiences and revenue-generating facilities, and use part of the revenue to fund the long-term conservation of the monuments, said a senior official.

The entrance of Majestic Rachakonda fort in Nalgonda district. File | Photo Credit: SINGAM VENKATARAMANA

The Directorate of Tourism has invited Expression of Interest (EoIs) from private players for the conservation, development and operations at Bhongir , Devarakonda, Rachakonda, Medak, Khammam, Kaulas, Zaffargadh, Elgandal, Ramagiri, Utnoor and Sarvayi Papanna forts. The department has said the list could be updated as required.

The proposal does not simply envisage handing over the monuments to private companies. The official said the idea was to retain the majority of the fort areas as public heritage spaces while allowing private developers to create tourism infrastructure in available areas around individual forts.

“The idea is that private partners will collectively elevate the forts to the maximum extent possible. The majority of the fort areas would remain open to the public, while available land around individual forts could be offered to developers who come up with suitable concepts. We are looking at creating tourism destinations along the lines of Rajasthan’s forts, including possibilities such as destination weddings , ” the official said.

The Express of Interest (EoI) document accessed by The Hindu says the government intends to select reputed and experienced private investors or partners to undertake development and management of the assets for a defined period, after which the developed facilities would be transferred back to the government. The government wants the development to remain compatible with the character of the heritage sites.

The Tourism Department has left the door open for private applicants to pitch their own concepts. Their proposals have to cover the conservation approach, proposed tourism experience, investment, revenue model, community participation and implementation timeline. “A fort could therefore potentially become more than a monument that visitors climb, photograph and leave,” the official added.

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