Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam, which is considered to be the largest metropolis in AP after the state bifurcation, unfortunately doesn’t have heads to the key government wings, which is affecting city’s growth.
Vizag police comissionerate is being run by incharge commissioner, IG of north coastal Andhra Pradesh Atul Singh, who is in Hyderabad since four months. Vuda, responsible for planned development was until last week governed by an in-charge senior government official, GVMC commissioner, ever since the then vice-chairman of Vuda Yuvaraj was posted as district collector.
Now it’s more than a week that the GVMC commissioner M.V. Satyanarayana was transferred, none was posted.
The civic body is now being run by the district joint collector Praveen Kumar who was made in- charge GVMC commissioner.
The responsibility of Vuda was entrusted to EPDCL CMD M. Seshagiri Babu. The EPDCL has jurisdiction over five districts and the government’s ambitious programme of 24/7 power supply from October 2 always keeps Mr Seshagiri Babu busy and leaves less scope for him to look into the affairs of Vuda.
Fingers are being pointed that Vuda officials are having a free run and processing applications of land related issues only if their palms are greased.
It may be worth mentioning here that Vuda surveyor K.S.S. Prasad Rao was caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau taking a bribe from an applicant for site plan.
Similar is the case with the police department. At least four police officers were either suspended or attached to the control room in the last one month after their corrupt activities were brought to the notice of in-charge police commissioner.
There are many projects that are waiting to be approved or given consent from a full time GVMC commissioner.
“We wish all these key posts are filled by the government on priority. I wonder why the government is delaying in appointing a full-time police commissioner for such an important city like Vizag,” said Vizag Development Council vice-president O. Naresh Kumar.
