Vizag'z Future...

webgeek · Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:24 am Post subject:

I think any new industrial projects - particularly those related to refining should be relocated to the city outskirts or far away from the residential or business locations. The HPCL blast few years ago is still afresh. Gajuwaka and its surrounding areas are heavily polluted and people are curing for having living there.
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RealityRider

GO on Yarada Hill comes under fire

Staff Reporter

Round table takes exception to violation of Master Plan

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Vedika to launch campaign on Yarada Hill

State has no right over the hill

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VISAKHAPATNAM: The State Government decision to change the land use of Yaradakonda in an area of 1,369 acres from hill and forest to multipurpose use zone has come under sharp criticism at a roundtable meeting conducted here by North Andhra Rakshana Vedika on Tuesday.

Speakers from various sections and political parties took strong exception to violation of Master Plan 2021 by Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority itself vide GO Ms. No. 564 dated August 20, 2008 to allow commercial activity other than industrial use in the land in question. They feared that the decision would trigger an ecological disaster.

Forum for Better Visakha coordinator E.A.S. Sarma, former Vice-Chancellor K.V. Ramana, Praja Spandana president C.S. Rao, Moinuddin Basha, president, Yarada Mukasadar Welfare Association, Maradali Khan, vice-president, All Mosques’ Federation, fishermen leader G. Papa Rao, APCLC district president T. Srirama Murthy, Bharanikana Rama Rao (TDP), K. Loknadham CPI(M), P.V. Narayana Rao and J. Pruthviraj (BJP) spoke.

Vedika president S.S. Siva Sankar presided.

The meeting resolved to launch a campaign against the bid to commercialise Yarada hill by developing tourism and housing projects, challenge the GO by approaching judiciary and take up an agitation.

Mr. Moinuddin Khan claimed that the government had no right over the hill as it was a wakf property. He said the land was given to three families belonging to Ishaq Madina Aliya way back in 1717 for maintaining a mosque in the Old Town. He said once any land was declared as wakf property, it could not be alienated by the revenue authorities for any purpose.

Threat to environment

Mr. E.A.S. Sarma, a former IAS officer, said selling away of hills was a threat to the environment and violation of VUDA Master Plan 2021.

He said that he had written letters to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on the need to protect the hills and forests and said they were left with no option except to approach the courts to refrain VUDA from implementing the GO. The change in land use was deliberate, the leaders from the TDP, BJP and the CPI (M) said and called for apolitical agitation to protect the interest of the city and its denizens.

source : http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/27/stories/2008082758540300.htm

The Hindu - 27/08/08 - vizag news

RealityRider

Dharna against GO on Yarada hill lands

Special Correspondent

Up in arms: Representatives of North Andhra Protection Forum and Yarada Mokhasadars Association staging a dharna in front of GVMC main office in the city on Thursday. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: A dharna was staged in front of the Gandhi statue near GVMC main office here on Thursday by activists of the Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika, the Yarada Mokhasadars’ Association and other organisations to protest against the proposed auction of Yarada hill lands. Representatives of several organisations and a good number of Muslims, including many women, participated in the dharna.

They criticised the government for allotting the Wakf land for other purposes and violating its own master plan and GOs issued in the past.

They demanded that the government withdraw the GO effecting change in the land use of Yarada hill lands into a multi-purpose zone. Concern was also expressed over the threat to the security of the nation as the land was adjacent to the ENC and the damage the commercialisation of the land would cause to the environment in the region.

President of the vedika S.S. Shiva Shankar, Moinuddin Basha of Yarada Mokhasadars’ Welfare Association, C.S. Rao of Praja Spandana, T. Sreeramamurthy of APCLC and others participated.

source : http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/29/stories/2008082960020300.htm

The Hindu - 28/08/08 - vizag news

RealityRider · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 7:21 am Post subject: Protest hits Yarada land sale

Protest hits Yarada land sale

Visakhapatnam Aug. 28: People in large numbers took part in a protest programme organised by Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika against the proposed land sale on Yarada Hill, at the Gandhi statue near GVMC building here on Thursday.

The protestors representing various NGOs and political parties. The agitators decried the state government’s proposal to sell the beauty of the city in the name of development on ecologically important hill like Yarada. They said that they were ready to launch agitation on a large scale to stop this.

State government has put up 1,397 acre of land on Yarada Hills for sale. The Land Use Act in the Visakhapatnam Metro Region Master Plan of the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) has been altered to enable the sale. If it is thro-ugh, the hill will become a multipurpose zone barring industrial activity.

To begin with, the district collector had handed over in advance possession of the government land measuring 473 acre situated in Survey Nos 79/27 to 30, 80, 81 and 86 of Yarada village of Gajuwaka mandal to Vuda as per the directions of the government vide GO No. 1606 of Municipal Administration dated December 1, 2005. The agitators demanded the government to first scrap the GO that enables the land sale.

“Hills are very important to maintain ecological balance and play an important role in environment. Government had already virtually turned some hills on the Beach Road into concrete jungle in the name of development. The repercussions will definitely come out in future. Now it’s the turn of Yarada. We will not allow this,” said Mr S.S. Sivasankar of Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika.

He also alleged that converting Vuda into a virtual real estate company, the government set targets for the Authority to sell the land and fetch the money. The Vuda officials fulfilled the initial target but this year it failed to achieve the target due to negative trends in the land business, he said. The target for 2007-2008 was Rs 1,000 crore and 2008-2009 Rs 1,400 crore.

A GO No. 1606 was issued to facilitate the land sale. An extent of 3,600 acres of land was handed over to Vuda during last three years. The agitators also observed that the Vuda’s Master Plan for 2021 which was approved in 2006 clearly earmarked Yarada Hills as forest zone. It is clear violation of law and the state government should be taken to task, they added.

source : http://www.deccan.com/Region/RegionNews.asp#Protest%20hits%20Yarada%20land%20sale

DC - 28/08/08 - Vizag region news