The CPI has opposed the Draft VMRDA Master Plan – 2041 on the plea that it does not address the concerns of the citizens and sought that it should be withdrawn in view of the apprehensions and objections being raised by the public.
In a letter to the Metropolitan Commissioner on Friday, party State assistant secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy and Greater Visakha city committee secretary M. Pydiraju said that it was the duty of the authorities to tell the citizens as to how far the existing Master Plan was implemented. They should also be told as to what was the reason for the non-implementation of some of the works proposed in the earlier plan and the difficulties in their implementation, the party leaders said.
The CPI leaders said that preparation of a new Master Plan without giving these details was creating suspicions among the people.
The residents of areas, where the development projects are planned, do not know of these plans. No discussions seem to have been held with those who would be affected by the projects and no gram sabhas have been held to take the opinions of the people. There is no mention of how the 793 slums in the city would be developed and the plans to prevent emergence of new slums. Though there is a mention on lack of development of IT, the reasons for the same and plans to overcome them are not given in the draft, the CPI leaders said.