Kakinada: Construction of park in Vinayaka Sagar triggers row

Kakinada: The construction of a park in Vinayaka Sagar in Kakinada Port site between two bridges of Jagannaickpur has triggered a row in the city.

According to sources, during the TDP rule, the park is constructed by spending nearly Rs 3.80 crore. BJP State Council member Duvvuri Subramanyam wrote a letter to office of the Accountant General (A &E) and District Collector D Muralidhar Reddy over the issue.

In the letter, Subramanyam stated that the unauthorised construction of Park in Kakinada Port site between two bridges of Jagannaickpur is deliberate attempt of misuse of infrastructure provided under the Smart City Corporation.

He said the Smart City Mission was set up to provide and create the basic and core infrastructure for better and quality life of people. He said that the Smart City Corporation has become synonymous with corruption and inefficiency.

He said both the Municipal Corporation and the Smart City Corporation, which failed to identify a site for dumping yard for want of people of Kakinada, made and executed the construction of park unauthorisedly.

He said Kakinada Port authorities are not empowered to grant any permission to anyone or agency to construct anything in its sites until and unless they get 'No Objection" certificate from Inland Waterways Authorities of India since National Waterway is underway through Kakinada.

Subramanyam said the purpose of Smart City Mission was getting defeated due to the Corporation's foolish decisions and priorities.

Social activist Nagamani demanded the government to recover the public money lavishly spent on unauthorised park construction from the salaries of employees involved in it.

The Kakinada Port officials said there was no permission given to either Kakinada Municipal Corporation or any other agency by this office for construction of Park or for any other permanent structures in the Vinayaka Sagar in between the two bridges.

Moreover the Municipal Corporation since a decade has not accorded permission to the Vinayak Sagar which is a place for immersion of Ganesh idols during Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival. The BJP requested the Corporation to name the place as Vinayak Sagar.

Nagara Ganesh Utsav Samiti honorary president Dusarlapudi Ramana Raju said the Smart City officials have established a park in Vinayak Sagar without seeking permission from Kakinada Port. Ramana Raju said during the TDP rule, they spent Rs 3.80 crore for its establishment and he wanted to know whether they followed the norms in approving the final tender.

Ramana Raju wondered how they could create a park without the permission and sanction of Kakinada Port.

BJP leaders Yenimireddy Malakondaiah, Chitneedi Srinivas, Dr Ravula Venkata Ramana Rao, president of Nagara Ganesh Utsav Samiti opposed the construction of any park in the particular area. They demanded the government to demolish the park and recover the money spent on the park from the salaries of employees involved in the decision making process.