Foundation Stone Laid for Velampeta Housing Project

The dream of owning a house is set to become a reality soon for poor families in the Visakhapatnam South constituency. The foundation stone for the first slum redevelopment model project was laid on Wednesday by State Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana. A modern multi-storey housing complex will be constructed for 177 poor families in Velampeta.

After laying the foundation stone, Narayana handed over guarantee documents to the beneficiaries. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “The goal of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is to provide a dignified, safe and quality house to every poor family.” He said MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas had brought the issue of the Velampeta-Lakshminagar slum to his attention, and that when the Chief Minister was informed that 177 families had been suffering for decades on a plot of about 55 cents, the Cabinet immediately approved the slum redevelopment project.

The project, being undertaken at a cost of Rs 28.44 crore, will see 177 housing units constructed in a 12-storey building around 45 metres tall, using modern share-wall technology. Each housing unit will cost Rs 16.07 lakh. The Minister revealed that there would be no compromise on quality in the construction and the project was targeted to be completed in nine months. Narayana added that the Velampeta slum redevelopment project would serve as the first model of its kind in the state, with the government planning to identify and develop other slums in phases using a similar approach.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas said the housing problem faced by residents of the Velampeta-Lakshminagar area for decades needed a permanent solution, and that he was glad to have found one. He said the issue was brought to Narayana’s notice and the project was subsequently approved by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. “My goal is to provide a permanent solution to the problems of the poor in the South constituency. It is a historic decision to launch the Velampeta slum redevelopment project as the first model in the state. This project is proof that the coalition government is committed to the welfare of the poor,” the MLA said.

District Collector M. Abhishek Kishore, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg, MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju, TDP South Constituency Coordinator Seethamraju Sudhakar, BJP South Constituency In-charge Botsa Suresh, GVMC Chief Engineer Satyanarayana Raju, Additional Commissioners Verma, Ramesh and Satyaveni, South Zonal Commissioner M. Mallaiah Naidu, former MLA S.A. Rahman, and others were present.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu