In a significant move aimed at urban poverty alleviation, the Andhra Pradesh government has initiated urgent steps to provide permanent housing for slum-dwelling families in Visakhapatnam. The directive comes directly from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has ordered the immediate construction of houses for these communities.
Minister's On-Ground Inspection in Velampeta Slum
As part of this drive, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana conducted a detailed visit to the Velampeta Lakshmi Nagar slum in the Vizag South constituency on Monday. He was accompanied by local representatives, including the Mayor, local MLA, Deputy Mayor, and the Commissioner of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).
The minister took a first-hand account of the living conditions, interacting with residents who are predominantly daily wage labourers. The families revealed that they have been living in the area for nearly five decades, enduring severe hardships, especially during the monsoon season. They made a fervent appeal for the allotment of houses for 177 families, along with basic civic amenities.
A Special Project for Comprehensive Development
After witnessing the cramped and difficult living spaces, Minister Narayana expressed his distress to the media. He announced that the state government would treat the Velampeta slum as a special project for holistic development.
"Steps will be taken to build houses, and the Velampeta slum area will be taken up as a special project and developed in a comprehensive manner," Narayana stated. He assured that the ground realities would be presented to Chief Minister Naidu and that all possible steps would be taken to complete the housing construction at the earliest.
Long-Pending Issues and a Vision for a Model Constituency
Local MLA Vamsikrishna highlighted that the problems of the Velampeta slum have remained unresolved for a very long time. He appreciated the state government's renewed focus on its development. The MLA pointed out that apart from Lakshmi Nagar, five more slum development projects are pending in the region.
He expressed confidence that resolving these housing issues would transform the Vizag South constituency into a model constituency within Andhra Pradesh. The government's action plan, now in preparation, signals a committed push towards urban renewal and social welfare for the city's most vulnerable residents.
