In the past two decades, Nellore has witnessed vibrant industrial growth, thanks to the establishment of several special economic zones, a deep-water port and thermal power stations in the district.
Though the city has grown by leaps and bounds, financial constraints have been a constant concern.
The municipal corporation is now a cash-strapped body and is looking for means to take up development projects.
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Interestingly, the ‘smart ward’ concept has come as a boon for the corporation. Mayor Sk. Abdul Aziz has seized the opportunity by seeking support from various sections for developing the city with their active participation.
He is keen to take help from big industrialists from the city who have settled elsewhere. He has also proposed to rope them in for development of facilities through adoption of various wards.
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“We are keen to take the support of a cross-section of society in this endeavour. NRIs and non-governmental organisations should also play an active role in this. With their help, we are sure of making a difference here,” Mr. Aziz said. During his visit to Hyderabad recently, Mr. Aziz had taken up the matter with the TDP leadership.
The possibility of taking wider support from various stake holders rather than simply relying on Janmabhoomi committees for ushering in development under the smart ward concept also came up for discussion then.
According to Mr. Aziz, Janmabhoomi committees will certainly be there, but they will be more effective if industrialists and NRIs are roped in and their active support taken for the process.
Nellore, a vibrant city located close to the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, has come to be the fifth largest city in the State after Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur and Tirupati.
According to the 2011 Census, the population of the city was 5 lakh. With the merger of surrounding village panchayats, it crossed 6 lakh.