VISAKHAPATNAM: The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has approved an ambitious residential apartment project in Visakhapatnam. This is a notable first for any urban development authority in Andhra Pradesh in recent years.
VMRDA plans to develop a 4.07-acre site near Pebble Towers in Madhurawada, with a residential complex featuring six 50-storey towers. Pricing details have yet to be finalized.
The project will include 3 BHK, 4 BHK, and 4 BHK duplex apartments, along with amenities such as a clubhouse, jogging and cycling tracks, a swimming pool with deck, a children’s play area, and more, comparable to upscale gated communities.
Additionally, VMRDA has sanctioned middle-income group (MIG) housing projects in various city areas, such as Midhilapuri (Madhurawada), Marikavalasa, and Vepagunta. These MIG complexes will consist of 2 BHK, 2.5 BHK, and 3 BHK flats. Both the iconic towers in Madhurawada and the MIG apartments will be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Officials indicate that MIG apartment pricing will be lower than options from private developers in the region, with the foundation stone for these initiatives expected to be laid in the coming months.
Currently, government housing schemes in urban areas assist the homeless poor by providing one cent of land and financial support for home construction. However, there are no provisions for middle- or higher-income groups (MIG/HIG). Through the iconic towers and the MIG apartment schemes, VMRDA aims to meet the housing demands of these segments. A demand survey for the MIG housing initiative has already been conducted.
While the government and urban development authorities are working on MIG layouts, these efforts currently focus solely on plot sales, leaving construction to individual buyers. In the last two years, VMRDA has developed various layouts under the NTR Smart Township Layout scheme across Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam districts. The new MIG apartment scheme seeks to relieve buyers from the burden of separate plot purchases and construction, providing them with ready-to-move-in homes.
Over the past decade, VMRDA has established numerous layouts, including MIG and one-cent layouts in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Anakapalli districts. However, it has not previously launched any residential projects.
In an interview with TOI, VMRDA Chairperson M V Pranav Gopal stated that this initiative is designed to serve the MIG and other segments. “This will benefit both the public and VMRDA. Citizens will receive quality homes at subsidized prices, while the project will generate revenue for the Authority. We have a significant land bank from Madhurawada and Bheemili to Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, and beyond. We plan to begin these projects in the next few months,” he shared.
A recent meeting of the ‘Authority’, chaired by Pranav and attended by principal secretary (municipal administration and urban development) Suresh Kumar, VMRDA metropolitan commissioner KS Viswanathan, and other officials, emphasized that the urban development authority will be managed by the ‘Authority’ and ‘Executive Committee’ in accordance with the VMRDA Act.
