VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Minister of State for Mines T. Subbirami Reddy has promised to pursue all proposals made by the district with the Centre and also ensure flow of funds to Central schemes.

Central Government departments such as rural and urban poverty alleviation, housing, health, employment, etc, had ample funds. "Proposals must come through the District Collector and forwarded to the Centre by the State Government. However, matters should be pursued at the Centre and I will do the needful, " Mr. Subbirami Reddy said at a meeting with district officials.

He also reviewed the progress and implementation of various schemes and programmes.

Teamwork stressed

He promised to hold such meetings every month. "The ultimate aim is to achieve maximum development.

The development should be achieved through teamwork and I seek your cooperation," he told officials.

Later he told reporters that he would take up issues relating to Visakhapatnam with Ministries concerned.

Among the topics discussed were the steps being taken to avoid inundation of the airport, drainage system in the city, railway lands, etc.

Collector Anil Kumar Singhal, Municipal Commissioner N. Srikanth, Vice-Chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority G. Venkatram Reddy, Divisional Railway Manager Indra Ghosh, MLAs S. Rangaraju, Tippala Gurumurthy Reddy, Pudi Mangapathi Rao and K. Sitaramu, Chairman of the AP Technology Commission Koyya Prasada Reddy, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad P. Rama Rao, and other officials were present.

While discussing measures being planned to prevent inundation of the airport, the Minister was told that both the Indian Navy and Visakhapatnam port expressed their inability to part with a piece of land to construct a channel to discharge excess water into the sea.

Channel planned

A 12-km-long channel with a width of 140 metres was planned. A piece of land from the Defence department or the port was needed to for a stretch of 1.5 km of the canal. When told that neither the Navy nor the port was willing to part with the land, the Minister said he would take up the issue with both Ministries.

Mr. Singhal said the consultant would submit the final detailed project report for the work, estimated to cost Rs. 48 crores, in two weeks.

If tenders were finalised earthwork could commence in December and completed before next monsoon.

Commissioner of the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation N. Srikanth told the Minister that the master plan for drainage system in the city would be ready by September 30 and could be completed in one year if funds were available.

He asked the DRM of Waltair not to go ahead with eviction of encroachers on railway lands in the city as there was a proposal from the GVMC to provide land in exchange.

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