The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : VUDA to take up mega housing project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

VUDA to take up mega housing project

By Santosh Patnaik

VISAKHAPATNAM, JAN. 30. The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) has prepared an ambitious plan to take up 50 housing projects, comprising 25,000 dwellings at a cost of Rs. 2,000 crores, in the next two years.

After identifying 1,000 acres in different areas on the city outskirts, VUDA has decided to take up construction through private partners. Some of the projects will be entrusted to international construction firms on the lines of Singapore mega housing project being taken up by Jurong Infrastructure (India) Private Limited.

The VUDA Vice-Chairman, D. Vara Prasad, told The Hindu that they would take up the projects only after obtaining formal permission from the Government. A workshop is proposed in the city next week to elicit the opinion of builders, bankers, planners and others on the housing projects. Based on the feedback, a report will be sent to the Government.

He said the VUDA would ensure total transparency and allow commercial banks to sell applications, process them and arrange loans as part of outsourcing. A quality control cell would also be set up in the VUDA, headed by a superintending engineer, to monitor the progress of work on the projects.

Focus on periphery

The main motivation for the Sagarateera Soudhalu project was the finding by the VUDA that at least three lakh dwellings were required in the next 15 years with the population growing from 22 lakhs to 34.5 lakhs in the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region (VMR) by 2020.

According to sources, during an internal survey, VUDA also found that it had deviated from its avowed objectives and constructed just 7,000 dwellings in the last 27 years.

Taking all aspects into consideration, plans are under way to lay emphasis on developing infrastructure in the peripheral areas. 10 mega projects

Of the 50 projects, 10 mega housing schemes will be taken up with the remaining classified as medium and minor schemes. On an average, a two-bed room flat/house will cost Rs. 8 lakhs.

According to the tentative project, VUDA will take up 13,500 two-bed room flats, 4,000 three-bedroom flats and 7,500 independent houses.

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