Ending clouds of uncertainty, the differences over lease rental for land allotted at Gambheeram for India’s first Centre for Electromagnetic Environment Effects (Centre for 3Es) proposed by the Department of Electronics & IT (DeitY) under Ministry of Communications & IT, have been sorted out.
“The project, which will be one-stop solution for electromagnetic compatibility needs for all electronic devices starting from mobile phones to submarines and aircraft, is back on track. It will be operational in one and a half years and fully ready in three years,” Programme Director Dr. B. Subba Rao told The Hindu on Tuesday. It would involve an investment of Rs.80.02 crore.
After collecting a developmental charge of Rs.3.82 crore, APIIC, which allotted 13 acres for the project, had insisted on payment of a hefty lease rental.
However, following threat by the Ministry of Communications & IT to shelve the project due to heavy rental, the amount has been slashed drastically. This was possible following intervention of local MP K. Haribabu and other elected representatives.
After sorting out differences over payments, now registration of lease deed will be completed within a few days. Centre for 3Es will be developed and managed under the aegis of Society for Applied Microwave Electronic Engineering and Research (SAMEER), an autonomous R&D lab under the DeitY).
SAMEER has labs for microwave research at Mumbai, electromagnetic in Chennai and millimetre wave in Kolkata.
Vizag Development Council vice-president O. Naresh Kumar welcomed the development and asked the State Government to offer land free of cost for Centrally-funded projects proposed in the city viz. National Institute of Electronics & IT, Standardisation & Quality Certification (STQC) and Directorate of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
