In a major push for planned urban growth, the Andhra Pradesh government has approved a large-scale land pooling scheme (LPS) spanning 1,941.19 acres across Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Anakapalli districts.

GO Ms. No. 146 authorises the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) to implement the scheme under its 2016 LPS Rules. Farmers pooling 41.287 acres will receive 1,600 sq. yards residential and 200 sq. yards commercial land per acre, while those contributing 15.90 acres with fresh approvals will get 1,000 sq. yards residential and 200 sq. yards commercial per acre.

Aligned with NITI Aayog’s Growth Hub vision to brand Visakhapatnam as the “Bay City” or “Miami of the East,” the initiative is part of the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER) plan aiming to grow the regional economy from USD 54 billion to USD 135 billion by 2032. Urban extensions Vizag 2.0 (210 sq. km) and Vizag Bay City (40 sq. km) will be developed as brownfield projects.

Supporting infrastructure includes the 77-km Vizag Metro Rail (Rs 4,000–5,000 crore), connecting IT corridors and Bhogapuram International Airport. The model relies on voluntary land contributions, with VMRDA monetising surplus plots to finance infrastructure sustainably.