Dist Project Works Hit by Funds Crunch - Vishakhapatnam

District collector N Yuvaraj informed the government about the availability of suited land for various projects proposed by the State during bifurcation, in a review meeting held by HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao here Monday. However, due to lack of funds, the district administration has explained their inability to initiate any work until funds are sanctioned.

After the state bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh government had announced several projects for the district. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, during his series of visits to the district, asserted that Visakhapatnam would be developed on priority basis in education, tourism, industrial, IT and ITES and sports and other sectors.

Except for laying foundation stone at Gambheeram for Indian Institute of Management Vizag chapter, no other project work commenced.

Meanwhile, minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao assured the district administration that a meeting would be convened with the Chief Minister to take final decisions at state level about the projects and funds required. The minister also directed the district administration to solve the district-level issues consulting VUDA, GVMC, VPT and other establishments.

Collector N Yuvaraj explained various projects in the meeting, including Paryatakbhavan, water sports, tourism, international sports school, IT Signature towers, sports city, Ayush University, etc., He also presented a full report to the minister on the availability of land required for the proposed projects.

“Lands have been kept ready to set up the Tribal Museum, Tribal Culture Research Institute, sports school for physically challenged and an exclusive 784 acres of land for education city at Sabbavaram,” the collector said.

Talking about the proposed projects and government funds, a senior official said that during the past one year, almost all the departments have been facing severe financial crisis. The government should allot funds immediately to take up all the proposed projects. In fact, there is not enough money to even prepare a detailed project report, the senior official lamented.

Source: The New Indian Express, 23rd June 2015