Vijayawada city set for big makeover

Vijayawada: The PWD Grounds (Swaraj Maidan) on Bandar road in the city is set for a major makeover. It would be developed as City Square on lines with the famous such centres in the West. The design for this was finalised by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here on Sunday. GIIC company of China had prepared the design.

Stating that the City Square would emerge as a prestigious project of the state, he said it would be very useful for the people and would create a lung space which was badly required for a city like Vijayawada. The CM enquired from the GIIC representatives about the shopping complex, parking area, etc.

The meeting to finalise the design was attended by Minister for Water Resources Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, CMO chief secretary Satish Chandra, District Collector Babu A, Municipal Commissioner G Veera Pandian and GIIC representatives. Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said the City Square would attract tourists and yield good revenue to the government.

He said the City Square to be developed under public-private partnership at a cost of Rs 135 crore would provide space for exhibitions and public meetings. The Collector said the existing rythu bazaar at Swaraj Maidan would be shifted to the Ryves Canal bank near Alankar Theatre.

He said a model rythu bazaar would be developed with 350 stalls at a cost of Rs 4 crore. It may be noted here that several people’s organisations and political parties staged a dharna in protest against the government's move to shift the rythu bazaar at the PWD Grounds.