GUNTUR: Steps for the construction of the long-awaited PVK Naidu Complex are finally being taken in Guntur city as Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana has given approval for the construction of the complex. After he approved the designs in October 2021, soil tests were conducted in the area earlier this week.
The land has a long history as late PVK Naidu had donated 1.6 acres to Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) in 1945. The civic body had built a complex with shops and rented them out to vendors. The shops provided livelihood to several shop owners for nearly five decades.
However, in 2015, as the structure started crumbling, GMC demolished it and suggested the vendors shift their shops to Red Tank Complex. Due to various reasons, the vendors didn’t show much interest to shift. The construction of a new complex in the area has been on the cards since. But due to the absence of a council, the issue never got resolved. Soon after assuming power, GMC Mayor Kavati Manohar Naidu expedited the process.
In October 2021, Minister Botcha approved the designs for the complex. As a step forward, Andhra Pradesh Urban Infrastructure and Asset Management Limited (APUIAM) officials collected soil samples in three places in the area for soil tests.
Speaking on the occasion, the Mayor said the new complex will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 130 crore. It will have eight floors, out of which two floors will be allocated to the vendors to set up their shops. Free underground parking space will be also be facilitated.
He added that as the area is present in the heart of the city, a new modernised complex will change the look of the city. He instructed the APUIAM officials to report soil tests as soon as possible.