Basic healthcare and education infrastructure will be strengthened in the district through welfare schemes, Collector V. Vinay Chand said after assuming the office here on Sunday. He took charge from Joint Collector G. Srijana who was the in-charge Collector.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Vinay Chand said Visakhapatnam had a unique geography with the district having urban, rural and Agency areas .

Recalling his experience as the Project Officer of Paderu ITDA, he said that 58 % of the district comprises Agency area.

“I will coordinate with the Commissioners of GVMC and VMRDA to hasten the implementation of ‘Smart City and other projects. I will strive for the effective implementation of welfare schemes meant for the rural areas,” he said.

Public grievances

Replying to queries, the Collector said that he would strive to provide solution on-the-spot to the people coming from far-off places to the Collectorate on the ‘grievance day’ on Mondays. This would be done to the extent possible as all officers and HoDs would be available at the Collectorate on that day. Their phone numbers would also be made available in the public domain.

To another query, the Collector replied that he was yet to examine the SIT report on the land scam. “I will implement the directions of the government in this regard,” he said.

Development projects

Mr. Chand said he would make a courtesy call on Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao later in the evening and discuss with him on the development works to be taken up in the district.

Paderu Sub-Collector Venkateswar, Metropolitan Commissioner P. Basath Kumar, Joint Collector II M. Venkateswara Rao, District Revenue Officer R. Gunnayya, Visakhapatnam RDO Tej Bharat, Zilla Parishad CEO Ramana Murthy, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations (I & PR) V. Mani Ram were among those who greeted the new Collector at his office.