Forum seeks Vizag region as capital

Region between Srikakulam and Kakinada could be developed as a ‘hi-tech’ zone, say leaders. They noted that the Committee had also differed with the government’s contention that the capital should be located only at the centre of the State.

The biggest in Andhra Pradesh – Visakhapatnam – should be made the capital region in view of its inherent advantages such as connectivity, topography, availability of land and water, according to representatives of Vizag Citizens Forum.

The Forum leaders S.S. Siva Shankar, Bolisetty Satyanarayana, K. Narasinga Rao, C.S. Rao (Praja Spandana president), S. Surappadu and D.V.T. Ganesh told a media conference here on Monday that the Sivaramakrishnan Committee had found Visakhapatnam region as the best for location of the capital zone.

The Forum leaders suggested that the region between Srikakulam and Kakinada with Visakhapatnam as focus could be developed as a ‘hi-tech’ zone. There was a total of 5,573 square km. of land under the purview of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) towards Srikakulam on the north and Kakinada in the south. The Sivaramakrishnan Committee had described as ‘unfeasible’ the Vijayawada-Guntur area, being pitched for by the Chandrababu Naidu-government.

They noted that the Committee had also differed with the government’s contention that the capital should be located only at the centre of the State. They expressed total support to the Committee’s observation that the Vijayawada-Guntur region should not be made the capital as the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri region was ‘not at all suitable’ for location of the capital.

The Forum leaders said it was unfortunate that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Cabinet colleagues were favouring the Vijayawada-Guntur region despite its disadvantages. They alleged that the government decision was meant to favour certain communities. They further alleged that an analysis of the Sivaramakrishnan Committee’s report suggests that the State government was against north Andhra and Rayalaseema.

The State government had failed to submit the details pertaining to the availability of government lands in north Andhra and Rayalaseema though the Committee had sought the same. This was an indication of the ‘step-motherly’ attitude of the State government towards these two regions.

Rail zone

The Forum leaders felt that only Visakhapatnam has all the amenities needed for setting up of the headquarters of the proposed new railway zone in Andhra Pradesh. Referring to reports that the Sivaramakrishnan Committee had favoured setting up of the railway zone headquarters at Sri Kalahasti, they wondered how a place that was not even a division headquarters could be made the zone headquarters.