Mudasarlova horse riding project faces scrutiny over cost and approvals
The incomplete horse-riding project near Mudasarlova Park has again come under scrutiny, with experts questioning its planning, cost, and environmental impact. The project was initiated during the previous YSRCP government by then GVMC Commissioner P. Saikanth Varma at an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore, allegedly without the approval of the GVMC Council.
Urban planning experts said the project violated basic norms. “Any major project in a protected green zone requires council approval and environmental clearance. Skipping these steps raises serious governance issues,” a former GVMC official said.
The project, proposed as a tourism facility, faced opposition from councillors and environmentalists, who pointed out that permanent construction is prohibited in the Mudasarlova Park area. “Concrete structures in eco-sensitive zones disturb natural systems. This should not have been allowed,” an environmental activist said.
The cost also drew criticism. “Spending Rs 6 crore on a basic horse-riding facility is difficult to justify. The estimates appear inflated,” a city-based infrastructure expert said.
During a GVMC Council meeting, the then Commissioner defended the project, claiming it would boost tourism and that the Mayor had given prior approval. This was denied by then Mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari. “I did not permit this project. It was never placed before the council,” she said, and the issue remained unresolved.
After the coalition government came to power, the project was halted following objections to the expenditure. By then, about Rs 3 crore had been paid to the contractor. “Public money cannot be written off. Accountability must be fixed, and recovery initiated,” a former finance official said.
The site has remained abandoned for nearly one and a half years, with only incomplete walls and sheds. The issue resurfaced after Visakhapatnam MP Sri Bharat recently inspected the site.
Experts say the government must now decide. “The project should either be repurposed within environmental norms or scrapped, but the money spent must be accounted for,” an urban governance expert said.