Though the final “go ahead” on making Visakhapatnam the Executive capital of the State is awaited, identification of buildings to house various departments and offices has gained pace.
Top sources in the government say that the Chief Minister will be the first to move to the city, and the Chief Minister’s Office may be housed in the Innovation Tower building in the Rushikonda IT Park. It is learnt that the Chief Minister is keen on starting operations from Vizag by March and the other departments are likely to move in by April.
Though speculation is rife that unoccupied buildings in the Madhurawada Special Economic Zone may be taken over to house the Secretariat and a few departments, sources say officials had been told to identify land near Vizianagaram to build the permanent buildings.
According to a senior officer from the Revenue Department, efforts were on to scout and survey government lands in Viskhapatnam-Vizianagaram border area. The focus is on areas such as Padmanabham, Korukonda and Alamanda.
“There are huge tracts of government and agriculture land in these areas and most importantly they are either barren or not so fertile land and can be developed easily to accommodate the required buildings. The road and rail connectivity is already there, and a little investment can develop the area,” he said.
This area suits the government’s idea of ‘small investment and developing a huge under developed area’, he said. But it is still in the proposal stage, he added.
Buildings
While the buildings that are likely to house the CMO and Secretariat are almost finalised, discussion was still on where will the DGP office be based.
It is learnt that the Greyhounds training centre near Kapuluppada may accommodate the DGP’s office. The area is huge and shrouded from public view and suits the requirement. DGP’s office is the headquarters of the police force, said a senior police officer.
