Visakhapatnam Smart City receives 61 project approvals worth Rs 9.42 bn

Visakhapatnam, one of the quadrilateral cities in Andhra Pradesh, was chosen for the Smart Cities Mission following a competition held from 2015 to 2018. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Kaushal Kishore, provided this information in response to a query raised by BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao during a session in the Rajya Sabha.

Kishore disclosed that the city received approvals for 61 projects amounting to Rs 9.42 billion. Among these, 36 projects have already been successfully completed, utilising Rs 452.25 crore. He highlighted that the execution of projects under the Smart Cities Mission is carried out through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), jointly owned by the respective State governments and local urban bodies. Any complaints received are directed to the State governments for necessary actions. Additionally, Kishore mentioned that the Union Ministry occasionally conducts third-party evaluations in certain cases.

Furthermore, GVL Narasimha Rao sought details about the funding allocated for the development and renovation of the VMRDA (Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority) Park and other associated projects.

Spanning across 33 acres, the VMRDA Park is divided into three zones and is being transformed into a Smart Park catering to all age groups. Kishore elaborated that the park will feature various recreational elements such as nature trails, cycling tracks, landscaping with herbal flora, a dedicated multi-purpose lawn with a yoga circle, food courts, separate sports arenas for badminton, tennis, and basketball, a children's play area, an outdoor gym zone, boating facilities, and expanded parking provisions. As of July 31, a total of Rs 307.6 million has been invested in the project.