Vizag Development Council (VDC) and Mahila Chaitanya Sravanthi (MCS) have sought a better deal to the backward north Andhra region, if bifurcation of the state was inevitable. In separate letters to the Group of Ministers, the two organisations put forth their points of view seeking a better deal to Seemandhra region.
MCS chairperson S. Shirin Rahman demanded making Visakhapatnam, which has all the infrastructure facilities, as the capital of Seemandhra, to give a fillip to the backward north Andhra region. She also sought establishment of a High Court Bench, technical education institutes like IIT, NIT, IIM and Indian Institute of Space Technology, improvement of modern medical facilities, ITIR and Tourism hub in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. Shirin Rahman also sought a Metro Rail project for the city, a special package for women involved in agriculture, industrial park for women entrepreneurs and an institute on the lines of NEERI in Visakhapatnam as the city was identified as a highly sensitive zone for pollution.
VDC president Vishnu Kumar Raju and vice president O. Naresh Kumar sought that the Union Government should take every possible step to protect the interests of the people of Andhra and Rayalaseema who are worried on account of division of state.
Besides granting special package (yet to be announced) the government must clear some of the pending demands of Andhra and Rayalaseema, which are divided into fund based and Non Fund Based expectations from the Government.
The VDC suggested that all dams and irrigation canals, gates should be operated and controlled by the Central Water Tribunal as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, power should be allocated from the central grid until the proposed new units meet the requirements of domestic, industry and agricultural needs. Free trade zones should be set at Vizag and Kakinada and the ITIR should be sanctioned in Vizag region without any further delay. They sought allotment of land for promotion of the film industry in Vizag, setting up of two public sector anchor industries in the PCPIR region and establishment of convention Centres and Multi product Business Incubation Centers in Vizag, Vijayawada and Nellore.
They also sought promotion of tourism by connecting all the heritage, cultural and historic places in Seemandhra region, setting up of a new railway zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam and development and upgradation of four international airports , Navy to have separate airport at new Naval Base away from current airport at Vizag and time-bound package for development of new capital city in Seemandhra.
