Visakhapatnam: VUDA has decided not to take up housing projects in view of the past awful experiences of non-viability among many other reasons.  

VUDA, at its board meeting held last Saturday, has passed a resolution in this regard. However, to provide affordable housing for lower income groups, VUDA would build houses in the portion allotted to the economically weaker sections (EWS) in all the layouts.

Owing to the new decision on housing, VUDA had scrapped the proposal of satellite township at Gambheeram.

VUDA, earlier, proposed to build a satellite township with world class amenities in 25 acres at a cost of Rs 133 crore.

The proposal for another such township at Anakapalle, which is at a nascent stage, also stands cancelled.

“Instead of housing, VUDA will develop a layout at Gambheeram in the 25 acres and sell the plots. We will very soon begin the work on it. We also sought a direction from the state government on whether to dispose the plots through draw of lots or auction. Part of the land at Gambheeram layout comes under forest department and we have also applied for land use pattern. Henceforth, VUDA will only develop layouts and dispose plots. We will not take up housing projects,” said VUDA vice chairman Dr N. Yuvaraj.

On the other decisions taken by the VUDA Board, Yuvaraj said that Rs 26 crore was sanctioned to be spent to create infrastructure like roads, drains, electrification and others as promised by the VUDA in the 51 layouts developed  by it.

VUDA has also decided to cancel around 34 engineering works which have remained non-starters over the years.

“There are some works which were taken up without preparation or studying about feasibility. Such works have been cancelled to lessen the burden,” he said.

Talking about the YSR Central park that is coming up on the old jail premises, the vice-chairman said they have decided to use less concrete to make it a eco-friendly park and this has reduced the expenditure from Rs 35 crore to Rs 20 crore. 

A proposal for a miniature city and jurrasic park at the YSR Park was also scrapped.  Instead, an interactive kids zone is planned.

Responding to a report that appeared in these columns a few days back on the allotment of land in MVP Colony to national law university, Yuvaraj clarified that it was only a temporary allotment for the law university to use it as a playground until a  full-fledged campus comes up at  Pendurthy.

He said there will not be any construction on the land allotted to the national university and it would be accessible to public for at least 60-70 days in a year whenever they want to hold community or any other activities.