Peace must for development: Rosaiah

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on Sunday said that development at a fast pace was possible in the State only when a peaceful atmosphere was ensured.

He was speaking after laying the foundation for a park at the Old Central Jail area here. The park being developed by the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) at a cost of Rs. 5 crore in an area of 18 .78 acres in the heart of the city has been named after former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Mr. Rosaiah lauded the welfare schemes launched by his predecessor and said that the park had been named after YSR as a tribute to the late leader.

Several facilities

The park will have wide outer pathway for walkers, ample parking space, food courts, street furniture, curb walls, stormwater drainage, rainwater harvesting and colourful illumination.

It will have an ornamental compound wall at a cost of Rs.1.3 crore. The park's construction will be completed in nine months.

In an oblique reference to disturbances over the bifurcation of the State, Mr. Rosaiah said: “There were attempts to disrupt peace in the State. I have made efforts to set them right from time to time. To guarantee all-round development, the support of all is solicited.”

Painting a rosy picture about the future of Visakhapatnam, he said the city was developing at a fast pace. As per some projections, the city was among the top five fastest developing places in the world.

“It is not a dream. The city with its landscape and natural beauty is going to become a world-class destination soon,” he remarked. He said the government had decided to develop an international-standard park to provide lung space for people though there were attempts to corner the land.

Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D. Purandeswari, State Ministers Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, Kanna Lakshminarayana, Botsa Satyanarayana, P. Balaraju, Anakapalle MP Sabbam Hari and others were present. Visakha-II MLA Dronamraju Srinivas presided over the function.