Andhra Pradesh: RTC plans new building to house potential HQ

VISAKHAPATNAM: Authorities of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) have proposed to construct a new building for its offices to replace the five-storied dilapidated building at Dwarka Bus Station in Vizag. The proposal comes after APSRTC vice-chairman and managing director RP Thakur visited the building during his recent visit to the city.
Speaking to TOI, an RTC official said, “Our boss directed us to prepare a proposal to properly utilize the 85,000 square feet area for the administrative building of RTC headquarters if and when Vishakapatnam is officially declared the executive capital.”

According to sources in the RTC civil wing, the building at Dwaraka Nagar was built in 1978 and was made operational in 1980. It was used for administrative purposes by the RTC management then. Later, the building was leased out to various private institutions such as Guntur Vikas College and public departments like I&PR and central government wings such as RINL-VSP.
In 2016, the management of NRI Hospital expressed interest in taking the old building on lease. But the proposal fell through later. The GVMC-supported smart city project team advised the RTC against leasing out the premises to anyone on lease and instead develop it under the smart city project. Since then, the building remained unused. Now, the government has come forward to give a facelift to the RTC bus station in keeping with Vizag’s potential executive capital status, the RTC official added.