Year is ending, but GVMC nowhere near deadline in completing projects.

Key projects of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), which were supposed to be completed by the end of 2015 calendar year, still remain incomplete. Citing various obstacles, civic officials now say that the projects that are still to be completed by the December deadline will be ready by March 31, 2016.

The incomplete projects include the Rs 35 crore-worth modern abattoir at Marikavalasa, which was supposed to be operational by November. The abattoir is still a non-starter. The other important project is the 43.36 km long bus rapid transit system (BRTS) road connectivity sponsored by the Union government under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) at a cost of Rs 454.73 crore. The GVMC postponed the deadline of the BRTS more than a dozen times since its scheduled year of 2013.

Similarly, the 24x7 drinking water supply project, estimated at Rs 383 crore, which aimed to check wastage and ensure availability round-the-clock, too remains incomplete. GVMC also embarked on a Rs 243.71 crore project to cover 750 kms in the central city area under the JNNURM in November 2007. The project that was to be completed by November 2010 is still to be ready.

Apart from this, another key project is the JNNURM housing scheme that would benefit 12,969 people below the poverty line. Only about 8,000 people have occupied the homes so far in 38 layouts of the project costing around Rs 300 crore.

CPI state assistant secretary JV Satyanarayana Murthy said the delay in completing the projects was the due to inefficiency of the administration of the department of municipal administration and urban development. 'The state government failed to move the city in the path of development by completing the projects,' he added.

According to officials, the projects could not be completed due to various reasons including focus on time-bound projects like International Fleet Review-2016 slated to be held in February, non-clearance of disputes with the stakeholders in the case of projects like Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), which was delayed due to long time dispute among the GVMC, Indian Railways and Indian Navy over land.

'Yes, some main projects of the corporation, which were supposed to be completed by the end of the calendar year, were not finished due to several reasons. However, we will complete them by the end of this fiscal,' said a senior GVMC official from the engineering department. When contacted, GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar was not available for comment.

TOI