VMRDA to undertake major land pooling, aiming for ‘Miami of the East'
The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) is set to undertake a massive land acquisition exercise as per the government's directives and NITI Aayog's Growth Hub Strategy. The aim is to transform Visakhapatnam into a 'Bay City or Miami of the East'.
The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department has authorised the VMRDA to implement a Land Acquisition Scheme (LPS) for acquiring 1,941.19 acres. This includes 1132.09 acres in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram (25.41 acres) and Anakapalli (783.69 acres).
Keeping in view the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER) plan, this land pooling will enable two key urban sprawls, Vizag 2.0 (210 sq. km) and Vizag Bay City (40 sq. km), to be developed as brownfield projects to accommodate future urban and economic growth in a structured and sustainable manner.
The approved land pooling model, guided by the VMRDA's Land Pooling Scheme Rules, 2016, is designed as a debt-free financing method. Landowners voluntarily provide land and in return, a portion of the developed plots is allotted to them. VMRDA will monetise the remaining land to fund infrastructure development. This approach avoids huge acquisition costs and fosters public-private collaboration in urban planning.
The scheme will also pool public and private lands near strategic corridors like the Anakapalli-Bhogapuram Highway. In addition, regularisation of eligible encroached lands will be undertaken, with the RDOs of the respective districts being appointed as the implementing officers.
The Visakhapatnam regional economy is expected to grow from $54 billion to $135 billion by 2032. To support these developments, the government is investing in comprehensive infrastructure, including the Vizag Metro Rail phases 1 and 2, scheduled to be completed between 2028 and 2030. The project will connect IT corridors and the Bhogapuram International Airport (second phase).
'Land pooling serves as a non-debt capital mobilisation tool, allowing VMRDA to create a land bank of developed plots from pooled lands and to monetize developed plots to fund major infrastructure projects such as metro rail, roads, utilities. Ensure cost-effective urban development by avoiding large-scale upfront land acquisition costs. Ultimately, it will take forward Vizag 2.0 and Vizag Bay City concepts into reality,' a VMRDA official told The Hindu on condition of anonymity.
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