The Hindu        15.03.2011

BRTS: GVMC seeks advance possession of land

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation has sought advance possession of Railway land for taking up work on the Bus Rapid Transit System corridor from Pendurthy to Dwarakanagar.

An in principle agreement has been reached between the Railways and the corporation for giving the land on ratio of 1: 1.72, according to Municipal Commissioner V.N.Vishnu.

He said the Railways had been requested to give possession of land in advance pending a formal approval by the Railway Board.

The Chief Engineer and the Executive Engineer concerned had gone to Bhubaneswar to pursue the issue with the East Coast Railway officials.

The land close to Chavulmadum was free and hence could be given for taking up the work, he told reporters on Monday. The work on the two BRTS corridors is scheduled for completion in 2012, when the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission term also comes to an end. Alienating the Navy land of about 3 km is also in the final stages of approval.

On the property tax payments, he said the collection had so far been sluggish with about 30 per cent, Rs.46 crores, of the total of Rs.136 crores realised. A drive would be taken up for the next fortnight to realise at least 70 per cent of the demand with focus on long-pending outstanding amounts. Mr. Vishnu disclosed negotiations were likely with the steel plant to reach a settlement on its property tax and vacant land tax dues on the lines of the one with the port trust. For the past five years, the plant has been paying 50 per cent of the demand pending a court case.