The Expressway proposed in the Visakhapatnam- Kakinada Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) will be a greenfield corridor without disturbing any habitation or village.
The 138-km corridor will also be useful to the people of the region besides providing transport connectivity to the PCPIR, according to APIIC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director and Chairman of PCPIR Jayesh Ranjan.
He held a meeting on Friday here with PCPIR Vice-Chairman N. Yuvaraj on the preparation of the Master Plan, the draft of which was ready for publication. Another meeting was held at Kakinada on Thursday. Two petrochemical complexes – one at Atchutapuram and another at Kakinada – are proposed to be set up. While the Atchutapuram one will be by the HPCL and the GAIL, international firms are expected to make investments at Kakinada, according to Mr. Ranjan. The six-lane Expressway would be taken up under public private partnership and will be connected to all existing and proposed road networks in the PCPIR limits.
Mr. Ranjan asked the VUDA Chief Urban Planner and consultants to take up objective criteria for land use pattern so as to spur economic growth and development oriented to public cause. Measures have been taken for welfare of fishermen and for 57 fishermen villages that are part of the 97 villages in the region separate packages are included. Apart from other provisions, two jetties are proposed between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada for fishermen.
Dr. Yuvaraj said the final draft would be ready soon with the studies on environmental impact, CRZ and marine ecological impact nearing completion.
Chief Urban Planner R.J. Vidyullatha, Deputy Director of PCPIR V. Ram Kumar, APIIC Chief Engineer Ch.V.V.S. Prasad, Zonal Managers V. Nagabhushana Reddy, C. Yetiraju, Director (Personnel) of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Y.V. Reddy, General Managers Baby Mathew, R.P Srivastava, NIO Chief Scientist K. Mohan Rao, Senior Scientist B. Prabhakar Rao, G. Suryanarayana of EPTRI, Investment Corporation of Andhra Pradesh R. Srinivasa Rao, Consultant LEA Associates Chief General Manger D. Satish Kumar, General Manager S. Mahalingam and representatives of major stakeholder GMR participated.
