Minister for Infrastructure and Investment Ganta Srinivasa Rao has announced that four satellite townships will be taken up by Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority to provide housing to the middleclass.
The four townships have been planned at Anakapalle, Bhimili, Vizianagaram, and Pendurti. The Minister was speaking to reporters after a visit to the various projects taken up by VUDA. He was accompanied by VUDA Vice-Chairman Kona Sasidhar and Municipal Commissioner B. Ramanjaneyulu.
He admitted that the image of VUDA had suffered owing to inquiries by ACB and CBI into various land scandals pushing into background its positive achievements. “There is a need to restore its image as a nodal agency for housing and house-sites,” he said. The issue had been discussed with the Chief Minister and the Municipal Administration Minister stressing the city’s importance as the financial capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the growth had led to a lot of migration and the satellite townships would be implemented to tackle it.
The Minister visited the YSR Park coming up at the Old Central Jail site, the jogging track being laid at the foothill of Kailasagiri and the Children’s Arena coming up in place of children’s theatre.
Work on the park was launched in 2010 and it was still on paper, he said admitting the delay. Stringent tender process and timeline would be stipulated to prevent delay in projects.
Terming as inexplicable the Navy’s objections on the airport’s working hours when international airlines were ready to operate, he said a high-level meeting would be held on August 7 in New Delhi and Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallamraju would attend it.
The District Collector would also participate in the meeting. The Chief Minister was also apprised of the situation and, if necessary, a delegation from north Andhra would meet him.
