Even as the anchor project of the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) is getting set for grounding it, sanctioned in-principle during the UPA-II Government, it is yet to get orders on land allotment.
The EMC project has been cleared by the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology but its take-off has been delayed for over a year due to lack of initiative from the local authorities.
Andhra Pradesh government has allotted 13 acres at Gambheeram for establishment of India’s first Centre for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3). Society for Applied Microwave Electronic Engineering & Research (SAMEER), an autonomous R&D lab under DeitY, will run the centre by investing Rs.80 crore.
Sources told The Hindu that SAMEER campus was contemplated in the city as a pilot project for the EMC. Owing to delay in grounding EMC, now E3 will be set up at Gambheeram. Once possession of 13 acres is handed over, work on E3 will be launched.
In the newsletter of the DeitY published in August, 2013, the project found a mention in which it was stated that EMC was at initial appraisal stage with the site identified by APIIC in Survey No. 26 of Jagannadhapuram village near Parawada. Ironically, there is no follow- up after that due to pre and post bifurcation blues.
The project, which is expected to convert Visakhapatnam into an electronics hub, envisages a cluster of units in an area of 100 acres at a cost of Rs.114 crore to create world-class infrastructure.
No fund crunch“We are flush with funds. Once we get suitable land for the project, we will immediately release funds for the project,” a senior official of the Ministry of Communications and IT, said seeking anonymity. The scheme provides support to develop infrastructure for both Greenfield and Brownfield EMCs. A Special Purpose Vehicle has to be formed to implement the project.
Expenses towards preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) would also be considered as part of the project cost, said Symbiosys Technologies CEO Naresh Kumar.
