LPG connections to all by March-end: Collector

Visakhapatnam: Measures have been taken to make the State numero uno in the distribution of LPG connections by March-end, said Collector Praveen Kumar. “It was identified that 50,000 families are not having LPG connections.

All of them will be given new connections if they apply”, he disclosed
Addressing the Gram Sabha organised at the fourth round of Janmabhoomi-Maa Vooru progamme at Gopalapatnam in the limits of Visakha West Assembly segment on Tuesday, the Collector dwelt on various development works.

He said that under the GO Ms No 296, 35,000 houses were regularised in a single go, which were built below 100 square yards. Out of them 10,000 houses were regularised in the Visakha West Assembly segment alone.

Stating that no government has done such a huge regularisation drive in any State, he said arrangements have been made to regularise another 5,000 houses.

About Simhachalam temple lands issue, the Collector said it is still in the court and it will be possible to sanction pattas to 12,000 beneficiaries soon after the court delivers the verdict.

He said 10,000 houses were sanctioned in the city to those who construct houses in their own sites in three months time.

About the social security pensions, the Collector said that a total of 30,000 pensions were sanctioned in both urban and rural areas in the district for elderly persons, widows and physically challenged persons.

“We have sanctioned 12,000 individual toilets and built community toilets at Maddilapalem, NAD junction, Marripalem, R K Beach Road, Pendurti and other areas as a part of Swachh Visakha initiative for which public cooperation is needed to make Vizag as Open Defecation-Free City’, he said.

About the development works in the West Assembly segment, he said that a fly-over was proposed at the NAD with an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore for which two to three designs were examined and the best one would be selected by calling tenders in a month.

He also said that the land acquisition issue was in the final stage for laying a parallel road linking Gopalapatnam to the National Highway via NSTL.

About the regularisation of Durgapuram houses, he said it was linked to the Port Trust and it would resolved after allotting equal site to the Port Trust.

MLA P G V R Naidu said that Praveen Kumar has resolved many issues in the segment when he was the Municipal Commissioner. Later, the Collector
and MLA distributed cheques under the CM Relief Fund and LED bulbs.