The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has accelerated implementation of the ‘Velampeta Slum development Project’ under the Visakha Economic Region Forum and is planning to float a Request for Proposal (RFP) this week.
This comes after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Minister for Municipal Administration P. Narayana gave in-principle approval for constructing houses for all 177 residents of Velampeta. The project will be executed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, with works targeted to begin by next month. It is expected to be completed within 18 months.
Addressing a press conference at the GVMC office on Wednesday (February 11), Commissioner Ketan Garg said the corporation had identified two slums, Velampeta and Indira Nagar, for development on pilot basis. Subsequently, a feasibility study was conducted, and a detailed project report was prepared and submitted to the government for in-principle approval, which has now been granted.
“Typically, such procedures take 2-3 years, but this project secured approvals within 45 days,” he said.
Velampeta slum development project is estimated to cost ₹23.17 crore. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), each beneficiary will receive ₹1.5 lakh from the Centre and ₹1 lakh from the State. Additionally, the GVMC will invest ₹8.85 crore to build infrastructure such as roads and drinking water supply.
Meanwhile, the GVMC is exploring options for transit housing to temporarily accommodate residents during the construction.Shortlisted places will be shown to the beneficiaries first. If they don’t want to shift to the particular location, they can take a house on rent and the cost will be born by the contractor. A budget of approximately ₹18 lakh has been earmarked for transit housing arrangements, he said.
Each residential unit will have a built-up area of 330 sq. ft., with the residents also having access to a shared common area of 440 sq. ft., which will include a lift and other amenities. The Commissioner noted that the GVMC has studied redevelopment models implemented in cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad to design the project.
Similarly, redevelopment plans are under way for Indira Nagar, where housing will be provided to 110 beneficiaries. The project is estimated to cost ₹17 crore and will comprise a G+6 residential building.
According to a study conducted by the GVMC, Visakhapatnam has 66 slums housing approximately 2,300 residents. Of these, 50 slums are located on State government land, while 16 are situated on Union government land.
Zonal development plan
Mr. Garg said that following the reorganisation of municipal zones, the GVMC has begun meetings with public representatives and officials across all zones to identify key issues and ongoing projects. Based on these consultations, comprehensive zonal development plans are being prepared. These plans, which are considered essential for ward development, are expected to be finalised within three months.
Published – February 11, 2026 07:08 pm IST
