Visakhapatnam: Despite the strong resistance from residents and traders, the TD government seems to be going ahead of the proposed road-widening between Poorna Market and Old Post Office under One Town limits in Vizag city citing that road-widening would ease traffic congestion. However, the locals and traders are reluctant to lose their houses and shops for the widening of the road citing that it would hit their livelihood hard.
In his recent visit to Vizag city, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Visakha South MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar had appealed to the people to support the government for widening the road and claimed that government would announce best package to all the affected people. Mr Naidu had claimed that road-widening would improve the business opportunities in One Town area and the area will get a new look.
The widening of the road from Jagadamba Junction to Old Post Office will be ranging between 50 feet and 100 feet. The marking of the main road from Jagada-mba Junction to Kotha Road (about 1.6 km stretch) brought to the fore the widening issue. Opposing the widening of the road, the traders and building owners have formed The Visak-hapatnam Old City Buil-ding Owners and Merch-ants Association (VOCBOMA) to fight against the road widening process.
Over 1.5 lakh people have been depending on the business-establishments (jewellery shops, wholesale shops and few others) in One Town area for livelihood. If the GVMC widens the road, more than 70 per cent of the 1.5 lakh people would lose their livelihood. “Though TD leaders have been claiming that they would announce a nice compensation to the affected, we have no faith in the government and moreover, where can we set up our shops once we lose them and houses in One Town in the road-widening process,” say businessmen M. Sursh Kumar and B. Sai Kumar.
