With the focus shifting to the development of Visakhapatnam city, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed officials to immediately commence work on the construction of the Bhogapuram airport, Beach Corridor project, and on the diversion of Godavari waters from Polavaram to Visakhapatnam.
Reviewing the projects at his camp office on Tuesday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to consider the Beach Corridor as a top-priority project and start work on a war footing. He also sought full focus on the swift construction of the Bhogapuram airport.
Discussions were held on the expansion of the existing beach road from Visakhapatnam to Bheemili and expansion of the beach road from Bheemili to Bhogapuram. Officials said the preliminary estimates for the road project from Bheemili to Bhogapuram, including land acquisition, would be around ₹1,167 crore.
Reviewing the diversion of Godavari waters to Visakhapatnam, the Chief Minister asked officials to consider the pipeline project as a prioritised project. An action plan is being prepared to meet the water needs of the city for the next 30 years, he said.
Reviewing the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project, the officials said a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared for metro rail connectivity from the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) entrance to Bhogapuram, covering a stretch of 76.9 km with 53 stations. Proposals have also been laid for a 60.2-km tram corridor.
It is estimated that the metro rail project would cost ₹14,000 crore while the tram project would cost ₹6,000 crore. The Chief Minister said the projects should be designed tastefully and should add to the beauty of the city.
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, Housing Minister Cherukuvada Sriranganatha Raju, Chief Minister’s Principal Adviser Nilam Sawhney, Revenue Special Chief Secretary Rajat Bhargav, Municipal Administration Special Chief Secretary Srilakshmi, Housing Special Chief Secretary Ajay Jain , Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Gopala Krishna Dwivedi, Finance Special Secretary K.V.V. Satyanarayana, APSHCL MD Narayana Bharat Gupta, Vishaka Metro Rail Corporation MD N.P. Rama Krishna Reddy, and Swachh Andhra Corporation MD P. Sampath Kumar were present.