Guntur Eyes Smart Urban Transformation Through HAM Projects

Guntur is set to receive a fresh push towards integrated urban development with the state government rolling out Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) projects in urban local bodies. Guntur West MLA Galla Madhavi said coordinated efforts by officials, elected representatives and citizens would be crucial to turning the city into a smart and modern urban centre.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu virtually inaugurated the HAM projects from Kuppam as part of the state government’s initiative to strengthen infrastructure in municipalities and municipal corporations. In Guntur, Madhavi, District Collector Sai Kanth Varma, GMC Commissioner Mayur Ashok and Guntur East MLA Mohammed Naseer attended the virtual programme at Sri Venkateswara Vignana Mandiram, where the proceedings were displayed on an LED screen.

Speaking on the occasion, Madhavi said the quality and scale of urban development would be an important indicator of the state’s overall progress. She described the expansion of the HAM model to the municipal corporation level as a significant step, noting that the system had previously been used largely for major infrastructure projects such as highways and ports.

According to the MLA, HAM projects can provide a coordinated framework for developing several civic infrastructure components simultaneously, including roads, drainage, drinking water, electricity, parks, green spaces and underground cable networks. She pointed out that separate execution by different departments often results in newly laid roads being dug up again for drainage, utility or cable works. Better coordination under the HAM system, she said, could minimise such disruptions while improving the quality and durability of public infrastructure.

Madhavi said Guntur’s location near Amaravati gives the city a strategic opportunity to expand as a modern urban centre alongside the development of the capital region. She noted that development works worth around ₹400 crore had been undertaken in the Guntur West constituency over the past two years.

She urged the District Collector to identify a ward in Guntur for development as a pilot model ward, demonstrating integrated civic infrastructure and improved public services. She also asked the GMC Commissioner to address the growing problem of exposed cable networks and examine the feasibility of an underground waste collection system.

Madhavi appealed to officials, public representatives and residents to work together to transform Guntur into an ideal municipal corporation in Andhra Pradesh, supported by modern infrastructure, better civic services and coordinated urban planning.