Activist Opposes Bid To Give APIIC Land To Lulu

Visakhapatnam: The move to restore the land allotment to Lulu Group at the Harbour Park has evoked strong condemnation from various quarters. Political parties and activists felt that the handing over the land to APIIC from VMRDA is a ploy to concede the request made by the Abu Dhabi-based group.

Noted social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma on Thursday strongly opposed the move to reallocate Harbour Park land in the city to the LuLu Group to establish an international convention hall and other facilities.

Recalling earlier representations submitted by him, he dashed off a letter to Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration S Suresh Kumar, saying he was pained at knowing that the government has decided to restore Harbour Park land (13.43 acres) to LuLu Group.

He said, "The land in question falls within the prohibited area of CRZ, attracting stringent re-strictions, including prohibition of sinking of borewells. Such public spaces should be earmarked for public purposes, not for enriching private agencies. There are directions issued by both the apex court of India and AP High Court in such matters." He said "Right now, there is a case under scrutiny before the AP High Court, in which the court had recently directed the GVMC to demolish the structures and their foundations on the Bheemili beach, constructed illegally in violation of the CRZ, by some close to the earlier political establish-ment."

CPI (M) leader Ch. Narsinga Rao and CPI State assistant secretary JV Satyanarayana Murthy also decried the attempts to give the land taken back from LuLu Group to revive its project. YSRCP dis-trict president and former Minister for Industries Gudivada Amarnath said they had cancelled the allotment as the land was precious and the construction of the mall in the area was a wrong idea as it will further complicate the traffic congestion on the beach road.