Andhra Pradesh government forms panel to identify CM’s office in Vizag
VIJAYAWADA: The State Government has appointed a committee to identify suitable transit accommodation, including a camp office for the Chief Minister and accommodation for senior functionaries, in Visakhapatnam. Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy issued orders to this effect on Wednesday. The panel includes the Special Chief Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development), Special Chief Secretary (Finance) and Secretary (General Administration Department).
During a cabinet meeting held last month, the Chief Minister had informally announced that the State administration would shift to the Steel City on Dasara. He had orally instructed officials to constitute a committee for the purpose.
On the need for the transit accommodation, the order said, “It is likely that the Chief Minister and the ministers may visit North Coastal districts, known as Uttarandhra, for reviewing and monitoring welfare and development activities being implemented in the region. Therefore, it has been requested that the Chief Minister may camp at Visakhapatnam with ministers, senior officers and district administration so that decisions taken are communicated to field-level functionaries quickly.”
Elaborating on the necessity for the CM to review the progress of the region, the order stated that the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram-Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitaram Raju and Anakapalle continue to exhibit low socio-economic development indicators in terms of health, education, irrigation, intensity, connectivity, etc.
“The area is also home to a large concentration of tribal and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in the State. Four out of five districts of the region have been identified as Left Wing Extremism-affected by the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Further, some of the districts of the said region are covered by Backward Region Grant Fund,” it read.
According to the order, “Two of the three aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog are in the Uttarandhra region. Duly acknowledging the context of its historical backwardness, Section 46(3) of the AP Reorganization Act 2014 provides for incentives and special development of Uttarandhra. Therefore, the government has been focusing on the overall growth.”