CM to lay stone for YSR Park today

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah will lay the stone for a park named after late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy at the erstwhile Old Central Jail land in the city on Sunday.

Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority, which has been entrusted with the responsibility to develop a park with international standards, will convert the area as the lung space for the city in an extent of 18.78 acres.

The area is pretty close to the RTC complex, commercial hub in Dwarakanagar and Jagadamba area and the railway station.

The global standard park will be named after former Chef Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy as per a decision taken by the State Government. The old jail land has some very old trees.

The estimated cost for the development of park is Rs.5 crores. VUDA is committed to developing the park like the Botanical Gardens of Bangalore.

Wide outer and inner path ways, entrance plaza, spacious parking slots, landscaping, lush greenery, street furniture such as seating benches, park lighting, signage, rainwater harvesting pits, ornamental compound wall, walking tracks and kiosks will be the integral part of the park.

A grand statue of Dr. Rajasskhara Reddy will be a major attraction of the park.

VUDA has committed itself to developing the park by consulting various user groups, eminent public personalities, artists, NGOs, architectural, environmental and landscape experts, VUDA Vice-Chairman B. Sreedhar said after visiting the site to review arrangement for the foundation laying ceremony on Saturday.

Originally it was proposed to develop I-Max theatres and multiplex at the site but later the plan was dropped following public outcry and legal battle fought by Praja Spandana.

Many senior citizens and social activists had brought pressure on the authorities to develop the prime land into lung space as the city was growing by leaps and bounds for past several years.