Roadmap for city’s growth discussed at high-level meet

Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council’s Committee on Papers Laid on the Table, Yelamanchili Venkata Babu Rajendra Prasad, and its members Illa Venkateswara Rao and Chikkala Ramachandra Rao, held a review meeting at the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (VMRDA) here on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues such as the city’s growth and rising pollution.

Metropolitan Commissioner P. Koteswara Rao gave a presentation on the jurisdiction, objectives, programmes being undertaken and economic issues to the committee. The committee gave suggestions for the measures to be taken for development of the region as Visakhapatnam was emerging as an industrial and financial capital of the State.

He suggested conducting of field-level surveys and marking of master plan roads to prevent prospective land buyers being deceived by unscrupulous real estate dealers. He also advised VMRDA officials to coordinate with various departments concerned in the laying of the six-lane national highway bypass from Anakapalle to Anandapuram, on the outskirts of the city. He also suggested their involvement in the protection of Erramatti Dibbalu (red sand dunes) and to mitigate growing pollution in the city by growing more trees.

VMRDA secretary Ganesh Kumar, Chief Engineer K. Ram Mohan Rao, DFO Shanti Swaroop, Chief Statistical Officer Nirmalamma and Chief Urban Planner Suresh Kumar were among those who participated in the meeting.