‘Super city’ as capital for new State mooted

‘Vizag-Rajahmundry-Vijayawada region should be developed for inclusive growth’. They also suggested that coastal shipping be promoted and the National Waterway 4 be extended to Visakhapatnam.

In line with the principles of sustainable development advocated in the Medellin Declaration, Gravity 2.0 Research Foundation recommended that a capital city region be considered rather than a single urban agglomeration for the location of a new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh post bifurcation.

In a representation submitted to the Expert Committee on identification of location of new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, the Gravity 2.0 Research Foundation, suggested that the new capital be located in the Visakhapatnam-Rajahmundry-Vijayawada ‘Super City’ ensuring inclusive growth.

They also suggested that coastal shipping be promoted and the National Waterway 4 be extended to Visakhapatnam.

Three members of the foundation, Viswanadham, Murali Bulusu and Gopi Kumar Bulusu, met the members of the Expert Committee set up by the Centre during their visit to the city. The foundation is strongly advocating the spread of the city for greater inclusive development unlike the conventional policy which looks at forming urban sprawls that exclude the poor and non-urban populations.

The VRV would be an economically integrated region that supports industries with high economic value addition, industries that create jobs in both urban and rural habitats within the Super City, industries that are environment friendly and industries that help the region become efficient and effective in addressing the needs of the people of the region with long term socio economic and environmental sustainability, Mr Gopi Kumar said.

Such development policy would ensure that prosperity is spread across all segments of society, he added. By providing high quality connectivity between the component centres both urban and rural, the government would ensure that the migration into recognised urban sprawls would be reduced. Further, the government would have to provide better education and medicare facilities at sub regional level fulfilling its duty in providing access to quality education and medicare facilities to a greater section of the population. This would not only improve the quality of life of citizens but also reduce the burden imposed on urban agglomerations by migrants, he said in the proposal submitted to the committee.