Coming down heavily on former MLA and Telugu Desam Party(TDP) leader Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy for saying that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has vested interest in the Visakhapatnam Port – Bhogapuram six-lane road, Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao said that TDP leaders are unable to digest the development activity and that is why they were only indulging in mud-slinging.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, he said that the TDP leaders are busy nitpicking and trying to gain mileage, by giving everything a political twist.
Clarifying the Bhogapuram land issue, he said, “Originally 2,500 acres of land was given to GMR to build the airport. But subsequently, after YSR Congress Party took over the reins of the government, 500 acres was taken back from GMR to build airport related infrastructure on the lines of the Aerocity outside Delhi Airport. But this move is being given a wrong picture by the Opposition.”
The Opposition parties, especially the TDP, is linking this with the road project. The government, YSRC party and the Chief Minister have no vested interest in it, he added.
“We had proposed this to Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari during his trip to Vijayawada and he has accepted to help,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.
According to the Minister, to match the growth rate of Visakhapatnam, there is a need to reduce the load on NH 16, which is currently the only NH passing through the city.
That is why the six-lane road from Anandapuram to Anakapalle is coming up and this new proposed six-lane from the port to Bhogapuram will act as parallel national highways.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the Anandapuram- Anakapalle road will be completed by June and once it was dedicated to the nation, the NH 16 stretch from Anandapuram to Lankelapalem that runs through the city, will be given to the State government for maintenance. “We have proposed about 12 flyovers on this road,” he said.
On the criticism that Andhra University has become an office of the YSRCP by the TDP leaders, he said, “TDP has no moral right to talk about AU, as it could not even increase the seats in the engineering college. Any increase in seats would impact the private universities that are being run by TDP leaders.”
Bill on three capitals
On the proposed three capitals and making Vizag the Executive Capital, he said that in the coming Assembly Session, a fresh Bill will be introduced and this would become a reality very soon.
Pendurthi MLA Adeep Raj, Gajuwaka MLA T. Nagi Reddy, Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari, VMRDA chairperson A. Vijaya Nirmala and other leaders were present.
Pendurthi MLA Adeep Raj, Gajuwaka MLA T. Nagi Reddy, Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari, VMRDA chairperson A. Vijaya Nirmala and other leaders were present.
