A crucial meeting to discuss ways and means to promote Visakhapatnam as a destination for investments in IT will be held on Tuesday.
The meeting is convened by K. Ratna Prabha, Principal Secretary, Information Technology and Communication Department. This will be her first meeting to discuss developments with regard to IT Special Economic Zones set up at Rushikonda and Gambheeram after she took over as the Principal Secretary recently.
The meeting will be held at the Andhra University Platinum Jubilee Guesthouse. Though IT SEZ at Rushikonda turned operational a year-and-half ago, the units which launched their activity are crying for attention to meet basic requirements. Frequent power cuts has upset the investors.
There is no provision for water connection to IT SEZ so far even in municipal or VUDA plan. No budget also has been allocated. Till date there is no pipeline, Even BSNL has not provided fax and landline facilities, IT sources said.
Software Technology Park of India is yet to provide the bandwidth. The promoters of units and employees say a post office should be opened in the area immediately. There is also a demand for a bank, removal of cement concrete plant at the entrance, provision for bus shelters and installation of pollution measuring station. An entrepreneur said the authorities should create more space for new companies coming to the city with adequate infrastructure like power and water and demanded the release of capital subsidy and SEZ and anchor company benefits.
He said an IT policy should be finalised exclusively for Vizag with restoration of 100 people per acre instead of the new 500 people per acre norm.
