The State Government is looking at ways of implementing integrated transport management for cities like Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, Principal Secretary, MA&UD and Special Officer of GVMC, S.K. Joshi said.
Addressing a press conference here after a review with municipal officials, he said the government was also committed to providing 50 per cent of its share for the ambitious Metro rail project 20 km of which was estimated to cost Rs.4,000 crore. Right now, GVMC was seeking half the amount Rs.1.6 crore required for preparation of detailed project report (DPR) from the State Government and its approval to seek in-principle approval for the project from the Government of India.
On the rationale for merger of Anakapalle and Bhimili municipalities and 10 panchayats in the light of experience of forming GVMC, he said such a merger would help planned growth seeing future opportunities instead of unplanned growth taking place. It would help plan transport facilities for the next 10, 15 years as population would grow and more industries would be set up.
On alleged non-payment of fee amounting to Rs.54 crore to GVMC for construction of Hinduja power project at Palavalasa and issues relating to those facing displacement, he said he would examine them after going to Hyderabad. Municipal Commissioner M.V. Satyanarayana said no objection certificate (NOC) was not issued to the power plant by GVMC.
Mr. Joshi said the issue of a private company not taking sanitary workers as per the council resolution for integrated solid waste management was a serious one and it would taken up for serious consideration after the other issues for which reputed agencies would carry out a study got clarity. Even as he stressed the need for GVMC to work under constraints, he hinted the Rs.140 crore due to it for work completed on JNNURM projects would be released in the next three months.
‘Prerogative’
On the appointment of an IAS officer as additional commissioner even as three additional commissioners were already working, he said it was an administrative matter and the government’s prerogative.
Mr. Joshi said he could not reveal any decisions as he was bound by the Model Code of Conduct.
Answering questions, Mr. Satyanarayana said the PF and ESI dues payable to workers by contractors was being probed by PF officials. For the past eight months, the defaulting companies were blacklisted for the past eight months. A proposal halving property tax for residences in slums had been sent to the government, he said.
On the quality of Asilmetta flyover, Chief Engineer B. Jayarami Reddy said third party consultant was going into quality of material used, sometimes rejecting and was publishing books month-wise. The 12 pending projects under JNNURM would be completed by April 2014, he added.
Additional Commissioner M. Janaki was present.
