Business Line 31.12.2010
VUDA yet to finalise consultant to prepare master plan
| Vizag-Kakinada petro-chemical investment region. |
Our Bureau
Visakhaptnam, Dec. 30
The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) has not yet finalised a consultant for preparing the master plan for the proposed petroleum, chemical, petro-chemical investment region (PCPIR) between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, according to Mr B. Sreedhar, Vice-Chairman. The VUDA is the nodal agency for executing the project.
He told reporters here on Thursday that earlier international tender had been floated and bids were received, but the chosen company was unable to provide the requisite documents such as experience certificate. “Therefore, we have called for expression of interest again and some bids have been received. The evaluation will take place next month and then the consultant will be finalised,” he said.
Asked about the delay in executing a project announced three or four years ago, he said it was a huge project and would take time. He said such PCPIR projects were coming up in Gujarat, West Bengal and other states as well. “There is no question of our project suffering because of them. AP (Andhra Pradesh) has been sanctioned one PCPIR and we will execute it keeping in view the conditions here,” he explained.
Auctions
Mr Sreedhar said the VUDA would issue a notification on Friday for auction of residential and commercial plots in VUDA-developed layouts in the city. “The auctions will be conducted for three or four days from January 24 in the VUDA children's theatre here. Applications will be available in the VUDA office here from tomorrow (Friday) and also at three identified branches of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The branches are ones at Jubilee Hills and Himayatnagar in Hyderabad and R.P. Road in Secunderabad. Earnest money deposit of Rs 25,000 will have to be paid while submitting the application. On bid finalisation in the auction, 10 per cent of the cost will have to be paid and the rest can be paid in three equal monthly instalments,” he said.
He said a big project was Ozone Valley at Paradesipalem, where 121 residential plots would be on auction, with the minimum price being Rs 8,000 a sq. yard. “We have taken up the land pooling project at Paradesipalem. We have taken the land from farmers, paying them the price and also alloting plots to them in the layout. We have also reserved 10 per cent for the economically weaker sections and then only we are auctioning the remaining plots,” he said.
Mr Sreedhar said 14 commercial plots would be on auction at Kurmannapalem near the Visakhapatnam special economic zone and the Duvvada railway station, with the minimum price of Rs 12,000 a sq. yard, and 16 in Kapuluppada joint venture layout with the minimum price of Rs 6,000 a sq. yard. Two plots at MVP Colony would be on auction with the minimum price of Rs 21,000 a square yard. Two residential plots at Gandigundam would be on auction, with the minimum price of Rs 1,500 a square yard.
When it was pointed out to Mr Sreedhar that most of the plots would be out of reach for the economically weaker sections, he said the VUDA was also taking up projects for lower income groups at Kapulauppada and other places.
