VISAKHAPATNAM: In view of a number of complaints being received on street-lighting in the city, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has decided to offer its maintenance contract to the Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Inspired by chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who had entrusted the trading and mining of sand to the SHGs, the GVMC has decided to involve the SHGs in the civic amenities.
During his recent address to the SHG members, the chief minister has announced that his government has decided to utilise women’s power in all possible activities of development in the state.
There are 72 divisions besides Anakapalle and Bheemili zones in the GVMC limits. The GVMC had awarded the contract of street-lighting maintenance to private parties by inviting tenders.
Commissioner of GVMC MV Satyanarayana, speaking to mediapersons here Monday, said that a large number of complaints were received on the maintenance of street-lighting in the city. He said the contractors had failed to maintain streelighting properly prompting the GVMC to offer the contract to the SHGs. Members of SHGs would be trained before the award of contract.
The commissioner said that the Corporation had evolved plans to make Visakhapatnam a slum-free city in the next five years. An action plan was prepared to build 1.3 lakh houses for the removal of 216 slums in the city, he added.
Stating that the GVMC had already identified about 800 acres of land on the city outskirts to take up the housing project, he disclosed that tenders would be invited for construction of G+3 and G+8 apartments soon. “The government will release `1.5 lakh for construction and another `66,000 for providing infrastructure and the beneficiary has to pay `30,000,” the commissioner said.
The commissioner announced that `2 crore were allotted for taking up the Under Ground Drainage system at the King George Hospital and 10 workers were deployed to take up sanitation works.