After chanting unity mantra, Vizag Development Council, CII, and Vizagpatam Chamber of Commerce & Industries (VCCI) have joined hands to press for making Visakhapatnam the capital of residual State of Andhra Pradesh.
After abandoning their campaign for Samaikyandhra with Parliament adopting the Telangana Bill, entrepreneurs in the city representing the three premier organisations on Sunday told the Centre to declare immediately Vizag as the capital due to availability of land, world-class infrastructure and huge potential to grow further.
VDC president P. Vishnu Kumar Raju and vice-president O. Naresh Kumar, who own IT companies at Rushikonda IT Park, CII Vizag zone chairman G. Sambasiva Rao and VCCI honorary secretary M.V. Narayana Rao expressed their resolve to launch sustained campaign for making the city the capital and get special State status for industries for 10 years instead of five years as announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.
The argument pointed out by them for making the city as the capital include Vizag being the largest city known for its brand name, only city with national and international connectivity, ability to attract investments due to logistics and excellent hotel industry and peaceful nature of this area, location of ports at Vizag and Kakinada and proposed minor ports at Bheemunipatnam and other places.
They said Waltair railway division is the fourth largest division out of 70 divisions. As part of package, a new railway zone should be created with Vizag as its headquarters. The city due to its amazing landscape could be developed as a premier tourist spot, they said. Health City is being developed in an area of 100 acres near Old Dairy Farm. The city can become a lead IT exporter from annual turnover of Rs.1,500 crore from IT and ITES units if IT Investment Region Project is grounded.
PCPIR project
Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region is envisaged to attract an investment of Rs.3.43 lakh crore. “We have large gas reserves in KG basin. APEPDCL is the best Discom in the country but is losing heavily due to diversion of over Rs.1,200 crore from its revenue to other Discoms. Rs.1200-crore revenue from VUDA realised by selling lands has been diverted to Hyderabad and other areas. With refund of those funds, we can finish all Master Plan roads as well as Outer Ring Road,” Mr. Naresh Kumar said.
