At an interaction programme with members of the Vizagapatam Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday, three main contestants for the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency spell out their views on what they would do for the city. While YSR Congress’ Y.S. Vijayamma spoke separately, BJP-Telugu Desam candidate K. Haribabu and B. Satyanarayana of Congress were on the dais together.
Ms. Vijayamma said her late husband Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had special interest for the city and wanted to develop it on all fronts. Some of his plans were not executed but she would strive to realise them. The party manifesto prepared by her son and party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy has many plans for the benefit of the people. She did not want to continue in politics after getting elected from Pulivendula in the by-election but Mr. Jagan wanted her to contest from Vizag since north Andhra was underdeveloped like Rayalaseema and the party should help it develop, Ms. Vijayamma said.
Dr. Haribabu said like Hyderabad was the destination for all in the united AP, everyone in the residual AP should look at Visakhapatnam in the next five years.
The mistake of locating every major industry or office or organisation in Hyderabad should not be repeated in AP and decentralised development should take place to ensure equal development and prosperity of the State. IT, marine and tourism could be developed among others, on a massive scale here, he said.
Visakhapatnam having the advantage of a port, airport and good connectivity of road and railways and cosmopolitan culture was best suited for capital of the State and one should not forget the fact that coastal cities all over the world with air, road and rail connectivity developed into major centres of industries and Visakhapatnam should be developed as one such city, Mr. Satyanarayana said.
CEO of Symbiosis O. Naresh Kumar explained the needs of the city. Chamber office-bearers Narayana Rao and K. Sreerama Murthy conducted the programme.
