Visakhapatnam ZP moves to protect Rs 1,000-crore assets

Visakhapatnam: The combined Visakhapatnam Zilla Parishad administration has shifted its focus to safeguarding assets worth about Rs 1,000 crore, including more than 250 ZP high schools, guest houses and other properties, from encroachments. Following the ongoing land resurvey, the ZP chief executive officer (CEO) has written to the collectors of the three districts seeking protection of these assets. After the reorganisation, the erstwhile Visakhapatnam district was divided into Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts. The ZP owns over 250 high schools, guest houses and other facilities—most located on government land, with a few donated by individuals. More than 12 properties are reportedly partially occupied or claimed by private individuals. To address this, ZP CEO P Narayana Murthy has directed authorities to verify boundaries of all ZP assets, check for encroachments, and examine mutation details. "We have submitted the details of our schools and other assets to the RDOs through district collectors. We requested them to ensure that all assets stand in the name of the ZP, as some donated lands were never formally transferred in records," he said. Around 12 sites are under dispute, including the Dosuru ZP High School in Atchutapuram mandal, where two of the donor's three heirs have filed litigation over vacant land. The ZP also has guest houses in Paderu, Chintapalli and Araku in Alluri Sitarama Raju district; five in Anakapalli district—Paravada, Yalamanchili, Anakapalli, Narsipatnam and Payakaraopeta; and guest houses in Padmanabham, Anandapuram and Bheemili, besides the DPRC building in Pendurthi, in Visakhapatnam district. Meanwhile, ZP authorities have instructed mandal parishad development officers (MPDOs) to coordinate with tahsildars to safeguard the assets of nearly 900 Mandal praja Parishad (MPP) schools.