Slum development, environment top priorities if voted as GVMC Mayor, says Varudu Kalyani

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) mayoral candidate for the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections and MLC Varudu Kalyani has said that she would try to find a solution to the problems faced by slum residents in the city. She said she would personally visit the slums and one ward each week along with officials, and interact with the locals to find solutions to their problems.

Ms. Kalyani on Monday addressed media along with the party’s district president KK Raju and a host of senior leaders where she reiterated that the party would go to the elections with the Save Vizag campaign..

She said that the two-year rule of the alliance government has led to the destruction of the environment with hills being cut away and residents were suffering due to severe shortage of drinking water. She added the the NDA government did not have the right to seek votes as it has failed to deliver its promises made to various sections of the people.

She condemned the environmental destruction caused by hill-cutting near Simhachalam and demanded the area be restored to its earlier beauty.

“If we win the mayoral election, our first act will be to pass resolutions aimed at taking back the lands given to GITAM, protecting the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, and the Simhachalam hills,” she said.

She also blamed the NDA government for the present drinking water crisis and said the destruction of environment has led to this situation.

Ms Kalyani said that, if elected as Mayor, she would develop vacant spaces within the GVMC limits for the benefit of the public.

“Plans will be formulated to establish ‘health arenas’ featuring parks, yoga spaces, and exercise facilities within residential colonies. We will consult with local colony associations and undertake development initiatives based on their suggestions. We will remove illegal encroachments from vacant lands and repurpose them for public use,” she said adding steps will be taken to construct walking tracks around local ponds and lakes.

We will also formulate plans for the development of Visakhapatnam’s beaches and the expansion of the tourism sector, in coordination with the GVMC, VMRDA, and the Tourism Department. Our goal is to provide a healthy and pleasant environment for the city’s residents, she added.

She asserted that a comprehensive plan is essential to develop Visakhapatnam into one of the premier cities in the country. “I will work with the specific goal of elevating Visakhapatnam into the list of the top 5 cities. I will prioritise a transparent, corruption-free administration. I will engage directly with the public to understand their concerns and formulate action plans to resolve them,” she said.