Many Central projects pending as state yet to allot lands: GVL Narasimha Rao

Visakhapatnam: BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao demanded that the state government should handover the lands allotted for various projects being undertaken by the Central government.

Speaking to the media here on Wednesday, the MP alleged that the delay in completing the Central government projects is due to the negligence of the state government.

Referring to the new South Coast Railway zone, Narasimha Rao said that the Central government is working hard on setting up a new zone.

The MP said that to establish a new railway zone, 200 acre land will be required to set up about 12 departments and other infrastructure.

He said that in the past, the GVMC had taken valuable railway lands for their requirement and is yet to handover alternative sites to the railways.

Similarly, the authorities also seem to have failed to handover about 53 acres of land previously allotted for the railway zone, the MP added.

Further, he said that he came to know several facts when he met with the district officials on various projects, including the new railway zone and ESI hospital projects. He said the state government failed to allot required lands even after the Union government allocated the funds. Even the local public representatives failed to know the facts, he opined.

Narasimha Rao said Rs 350 crore allocated for the construction of the ESI hospital was sanctioned by the Central government two months ago and the land allotment required for the completion of the project is pending.

He also said that the state government had failed to allocate sufficient land for the offices, houses and engineering departments required for the establishment of the new railway zone.

The Centre would be able to complete the respective projects at the earliest only if the land required for the projects is allotted, the BJP MP mentioned.

Meanwhile, Narasimha Rao stated that petro companies are cooperating for a six-month free training at the Skill Development Centre (SDC) in Visakhapatnam, where 15,000 youths are getting free accommodation and food.

However, the MP pointed out that the rent of the building was increased three times adding burden to the budget.

He said the GVMC officials were considering the SDC as a commercial unit and appealed to the corporation officials to give the building away for free.

Meanwhile, Narasimha Rao, MLC P V N Madhav and other Turpu Kapu leaders submitted a representation to district collector A Mallikarjuna seeking BC-D certificates to the community without any objection.

The MP explained that the authorities concerned were asking for a migration certificate to issue a caste certificate for the Turpu Kapus and that there was an order issued in 2017 itself not to ask for a migration certificate. The event was attended by North Andhra Trpu Kapu Association leaders, BJP Visakhapatnam district president Medapati Raveendra, Gajuwaka assembly co-ordinator Karanamreddy Narasinga Rao and other Kapu leaders.