Slum development, environment are top priorities if elected as GVMC mayor, says Varudu Kalyani

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) mayoral candidate Varudu Kalyani along with party leaders addressed the press in Visakhapatnam on Monday. | Photo credit: IN PARADISE

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) mayoral candidate for the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections and MLC Varudu Kalyani said she will try to find solutions to the problems faced by slum dwellers in the city. She said that she will personally visit the slums and one ward every week along with the officials and interact with the locals to find solutions to their problems.

Ms Kalyani addressed the media on Monday, along with party district president KK Raju and a number of senior officials, where she reiterated that the party would go into the polls with a Save Vizag campaign.

She said the two-year rule of the alliance government had led to environmental destruction, with hills being cut off and residents suffering severe shortages of drinking water. She added that the NDA government had no right to ask for votes as it failed to fulfill its promises made to various groups of people.

She condemned the environmental destruction caused by felling of hills near Simhachalam and demanded that the area be restored to its former glory.

“If we win the mayoral election, our first act will be to pass resolutions to get back the land given to GITAM, protect the Visakhapatnam steel plant and the Simhachalam hills,” she said.

She also blamed the NDA government for the current drinking water crisis and said environmental destruction has led to this situation.

Ms. Kalyani said that if elected mayor, she would build vacancies within the GVMC limits for the benefit of the public.

“Plans will be formulated to set up ‘health arenas’ with parks, yoga spaces and exercise facilities in residential colonies. We will consult local colony associations and take up development initiatives based on their suggestions. We will remove illegal encroachments from vacant land and reuse it for public use,” she said, adding that steps would be taken to build footpaths around local ponds and lakes.

We will also formulate plans for the development of Visakhapatnam beaches and expansion of tourism sector in coordination with GVMC, VMRDA and tourism department. Our goal is to ensure a healthy and pleasant environment for the city’s residents, she added.

She argued that a comprehensive plan is necessary to develop Visakhapatnam into one of the leading cities in the country. “I will work with a specific objective to elevate Visakhapatnam to the list of top 5 cities. I will favor a transparent and corruption-free administration. I will deal directly with the public to understand their concerns and formulate action plans to address them,” she said.

Published – 26 Oct 2026 21:27 IST