Vizag as Executive capital gains momentum

Visakhapatnam: With the wind blowing strongly in favour of Vizag as the Executive Capital of Andhra Pradesh, officials of Revenue Department, in association with some other departments, have begun the exercise to identify private establishments on rental basis to set up headquarters of various departments by January 20.

Though the YSR Congress government is yet to issue any official statement or order on the shifting of the Secretariat from Amaravati, officials of General Administrative Department (GAD) informally ordered officials of various departments to set up their offices in rented buildings between Rushikonda and Bheemili by January 20.

The State Government has planned to establish the Secretariat in Millennium Towers at Rushikonda area on a temporary basis.

A senior officer with the Revenue Department here said that they have started searching for rental accommodations for HODs of major departments. As per norms, the price for the rented accommodation has been fixed at Rs 15 to 30 per sq.ft per month, he added.

Members of CREDAI, Vizag Chapter, suggested one big apartment located at Rushikonda for housing all HODs and a few more establishments in one premise.

Apart from the rented accommodation for the offices, the officials are also searching for residential accommodations (three-bedroom luxury flats) for officers at Madhurawada, Sagar Nagar, Rushikonda, Yendada and few other areas.

B Srinivas of CREDAI said that over 250 flats have been lying vacant for past few months between Rushikonda and Madhurawada. Now, government officials are approaching builders to provide rental accommodation, he added.

Police sources said that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will stay in the sea-facing building on the beach road. He is likely to move in soon after it is completed. “We have short-listed some houses and guesthouses on the beach road as the Chief Minister’s accommodation,” they pointed out.