Visakhapatnam Development Body to Review Master Plan 2041

24 Jan 2025 CW Team

However, concerns have arisen that the plan was altered to benefit certain individuals and protect their lands. Allegations suggest major changes were made between the initial draft and the final version, which seemingly favoured a select few. Furthermore, suspicions emerged that some leaders acquired land in areas marked for master plan roads and key projects, knowing about the plan before its public release.

In response to public objections, the AP government recently instructed VMRDA to review the master plan. The VMRDA will address these concerns by issuing a new notification, inviting public opinions, suggestions, and objections once again.

VMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner KS Viswanathan clarified that the government had approved the master plan in 2021. “The state government has now directed us to revisit the entire master plan and submit a revised proposal. A private consultant, selected through e-tendering, will assist in this process. Once the consultant is finalized, we will invite objections and suggestions from the general public, stakeholders, and relevant departments,” he stated.

VMRDA Chairperson Pranav Gopal added that they would hold meetings with MLAs and other representatives from the VMRDA area to gather their input. “Following this, field visits will be conducted to directly seek opinions from the public,” he said.

During the initial preparation of the master plan in 2021, VMRDA received 17,460 objections from the public and officials from departments such as irrigation, forestry, and revenue. Most of these objections were related to the proposed roads in suburban areas. Subsequently, joint inspections were carried out involving revenue officials and other relevant departments.

In November 2021, the Andhra Pradesh government approved the ‘Master Plan 2041’ along with zoning and development promotion regulations for the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA). This plan divided the VMRDA area into various policy zones, aimed at guiding future investments in infrastructure and services. However, concerns have arisen that the plan was altered to benefit certain individuals and protect their lands. Allegations suggest major changes were made between the initial draft and the final version, which seemingly favoured a select few. Furthermore, suspicions emerged that some leaders acquired land in areas marked for master plan roads and key projects, knowing about the plan before its public release. In response to public objections, the AP government recently instructed VMRDA to review the master plan. The VMRDA will address these concerns by issuing a new notification, inviting public opinions, suggestions, and objections once again. VMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner KS Viswanathan clarified that the government had approved the master plan in 2021. “The state government has now directed us to revisit the entire master plan and submit a revised proposal. A private consultant, selected through e-tendering, will assist in this process. Once the consultant is finalized, we will invite objections and suggestions from the general public, stakeholders, and relevant departments,” he stated. VMRDA Chairperson Pranav Gopal added that they would hold meetings with MLAs and other representatives from the VMRDA area to gather their input. “Following this, field visits will be conducted to directly seek opinions from the public,” he said. During the initial preparation of the master plan in 2021, VMRDA received 17,460 objections from the public and officials from departments such as irrigation, forestry, and revenue. Most of these objections were related to the proposed roads in suburban areas. Subsequently, joint inspections were carried out involving revenue officials and other relevant departments.

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