Vizag heading towards executive capital

Amaravati: The state government is making quick moves to shift the executive capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam. According to officials, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who inaugurated the Orvakal airport in Kurnool on Thursday, made it clear that it was one step forward towards making Kurnool the judicial capital. "Now it's the turn to shift executive capital to Vizag," they said.

It may be recalled that Jagan had recently asked the officials to put the prioritised projects of Visakhapatnam on fast track.

They include starting of works on Bhogapuram airport, beach corridor, diversion of Godavari waters from Polavaram to Visakhapatnam through pipeline and Metro rail project. The CM stressed on the expansion of existing beach road from Visakhapatnam to Bhimili to Bhogapuram. Officials were asked to complete the land acquisition for the purpose. The officials informed that the project of extension of beach road costs around Rs 1,167 crore.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to consider the Beach corridor project as first prioritised project and start the works on a war-footing.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to prepare action plan to divert Godavari water to Visakhapatnam through a pipeline to meet the drinking water need for next 30 years. It seems as part of the state government's initiative to develop Visakha as an executive capital 13 mandals were brought under (VMRDA) Visakha Metro region development authority keeping in view the development of the city on international standards on par with other metros.

According to officials, plans were formulated to develop connectivity in the city keeping in view the increasing population and traffic for the next three decades.