Visakhapatnam West MLA P.G.V.R. Naidu has appealed to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to reconsider the decision to use the land acquired for construction of a sports facility at Aganampudi, for other purposes.
In a letter to the Chief Minister on Sunday, Mr. Naidu, who is also vice president of the Volleyball Federation of India and president of Volleyball Association of A.P., recalled that the Gachibowli stadium, developed in Hyderabad, had attracted several international and national sports events. Some of the events like the Volleyball World Championship '05, Asian Championship '03 and a series of national and international events were hosted in Visakhapatnam also.
Post bifurcation of the State, the lack of large-scale sports infrastructure in the State, prompted the sports fraternities across the State to invest in infrastructure.
A 150-acre multipurpose sports facility was envisioned to cater to international regulations and to host national and international sports events.
‘80 acres allocated’
After consultation with the sports bodies, Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) and the government, the project was finalised at Aganampudi in Visakhapatnam.
Mr. Naidu recalled that during his previous tenure as MLA, 80 acres of land was allocated and alienated to the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh for the purpose.
While the sports fraternity was eagerly awaiting the handing over of the remaining 70 acres and the project to kick-start, it was being said that the allotment was cancelled and the government was planning to use the land for other purposes.
Mr. Naidu appealed to the Chief Minister to reconsider the decision and ensure that the sports project saw the light.
