Minister for MA&UD P. Narayana during his visit to Lakshmi Nagar slum at Velampeta area in Visakhapatnam in December.

| Photo Credit: File photo

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Ketan Garg has said that the State government’s approval for the Velampeta Slum Redevelopment Project in Visakhapatnam is a huge boost and the project has emerged as one of the first major slum redevelopment projects in the State.He said that Principal Secretary, MA&UD S. Suresh Kumar, issued G.O. on August 7, granting approval for implementation of the project under the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER) programme.Mr. Garg said that the State government approved the revised Detailed Project Report submitted by GVMC for the redevelopment of the Velampeta Slum after incorporating the recommendations of the Andhra Pradesh Urban Infrastructure Asset Management Limited (APUIAML).Under the project, 177 housing units will be constructed. A modern high-rise residential complex with a maximum height of 45 metres will be developed over an extent of 1,986.45 square metres, providing safe, quality and dignified housing for the urban poor.The project will be executed by GVMC under the Design-Build-Finance-Transfer (DBFT) model as part of the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER) programme. Instead of conventional construction payments, the developer will be selected through competitive bidding based on a maximum TDR ratio of 1:4 (Transferable Development Rights), ensuring transparency and optimum value, he said.To facilitate timely execution of the project, the government has granted special relaxations under the Andhra Pradesh Building Rules, 2017. These include relaxations relating to building height, setbacks and parking requirements, besides exemption from certain fees and charges payable to GVMC, UDA and C&DMA, thereby creating a conducive framework for speedy implementation.He also said the government has directed GVMC to complete the Velampeta Redevelopment Project within the stipulated timeframe as a pilot project under the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER). Upon its successful completion, the project is expected to serve as a model for slum redevelopment across other urban areas in Andhra Pradesh. Published - August 07, 2026 08:37 pm IST