Bheemunipatnam MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao addressing a press conference in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: V. Raju
A proposal has been sent to Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) P. Narayana for the merger of 64 panchayats in Anandapuram, Padmanabham and Bhimili rural mandals, in Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency, with the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Bheemunipatnam MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao has said.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that he had held discussions with the leaders of 26 panchayats in Anandapuram mandal, 22 in Padmanabham, and 16 panchayats in Bheemunipatnam Rural mandal on the issue, and they had all agreed to the merger proposal. There would be no hike in taxes in the merged areas for the first 10 years, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.
He recalled that during the TDP rule in 2017, Kapuluppada, Chepalauppada and some other panchayats were merged with the GVMC. This was done to prevent administrative problems as Madhurawada and Bheemunipatnam were already under GVMC and these panchayats were located between Bheemunipatnam and GVMC limits. The NREGS works could be allotted in the merged areas for 18 months after the merger, he said.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao underlined the need to provide adequate amenities for the upcoming Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport, which was expected to start operations in March 2026. The plans for elevated corridors, flyovers and Metro Rail would also begin simultaneously. The Bheemunipatnam Main Road, Beach Road and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple road in Bhimili were also being widened, he added.
Referring to the demolition of a parapet wall allegedly constructed by Neha Reddy, daughter of former MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, on the Bheemunipatnam beach, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that it was “only the beginning”.
Published – September 13, 2024 03:25 am IST