Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

GVMC to build Rajiv memorial on beach road

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) at its meeting on Wednesday, decided to construct Rajeev Gandhi Memorial near recreation area abutting police mess on beach road.

A proposal for this was accepted at its meeting on Wednesday. It was from Visakhapatnam that the former Prime Minister had made the last journey to Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu where he met tragic death in 1991.

The proposal is estimated to cost Rs.2 crores.

Milestones in the life of the former Prime Minister would be on display at the proposed memorial. Fountains and greenery would also be developed.

A resolution for this proposal had unanimously been accepted.

Earlier the meeting, which met for the third consecutive day, witnessed noisy scenes over the proposal to give alternative land to the contractor who was first given the site for developing a food court, which was now earmarked for the memorial. The proposal for the memorial was made some time in the early 1990s. But nothing was done for a long time and later a proposal for food court was ratified by the Corporation at the site measuring about 7,400 sq.ft. But on directions from the State Government, GVMC had decided to construct the memorial.

There were acrimonious scenes over the flip-flop that the proposal witnessed. TDP floor leader Nalluri Bhaskara Rao and deputy leader K. Tata Rao said that if resolutions made by the Corporation were changed in such a way, people would lose confidence.

Cancelling a previous decision amounted to dishonouring the council, Mr. Tata Rao said.

At one stage, all the TDP leaders rushed to the podium opposing ratification of the proposal to give alternative site to the original contractor. TDP Corporator Ch. Pattabhiram, pointed out that the food court proposal went against the provisions of Coastal Regularisation Zone. Others including A.J. Stalin (CPI) and Eswaramma (CPI-M) strongly opposed the proposal to give alternative site and demanded withdrawal of the same.

The Commissioner, Mukesh Kumar Meena, explained the background of the proposal and said as per the provisions of CRZ-2, there was no bar for construction of food courts. The Corporation had a legal binding, he pointed out.

Later, the proposal was accepted by majority vote. At its meeting on Monday, the GVMC had ratified all the proposals except the one to convert Nehru Bazaar market into a modern market and shopping mall, which was postponed.

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