Hyderabad :
In an otherwise disappointing Union budget for the state, AP has a reason to cheer, as three districts of Nellore,Chitoor, and Ananthapuram are included in the Chennai-Bangalore Industry Corridor being developed with the financial aid provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA).
The mega project proposed to come up along the Chennai-Bangalore highway envisages building world class infrastructure to attract investment in the industry sector on the lines of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor . And the Centre is obliged include AP in the Corridor thanks to the frantic efforts of the state government. During the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Bangalore last month, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had requested the Centre to extend the project to Andhra Pradesh , saying only Chennai-Andhra-Bangalore corridor could unleash economic potential of the region and ensure world class infrastructure, economic development and employment generation.
Responding to the budget announcement made by the finance minister P Chidambaram on Thursday, minister for large industries Geetha Reddy said, “We are happy that AP is included in the industry corridor. And onus lies on us- the state government- now to leverage on the advantage and build industry clusters along the stretch. We would do it with the help of the Union government.”
As per the plan, Krishnapattanam Port in Nellore is included in the Phase-I of the Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor and it would be developed as an alternative port for Chennai and Ennore ports which are burdened by traffic congestion. Geetha Reddy said apart from de-congesting the Chennai and Ennore ports, the up-graded Krishnapatatnam Port would catalyze industrial and economic growth in and around the district.
In the Phase-II, the districts of Chitoor and Anathapur are included along with Nellore where the industrial clusters are planned, and the officials in the department of industry said a detailed report would be prepared in an year’s time. While sectors like manufacturing including automobile and machine tools are in the main focus, some of the non-pollutant industries like IT are on the top priority.
Once the project takes shape, various border towns and cities in the districts will have an opportunity to benefit from the industrial corridor as part of which the Union and state governments are making big plans. Tirupati, Pilaru, Nayudupeta, Gudur and Hindupur are towns to have additional advantage because of the initiatives.
However the industrial captains are bit disappointed, as they were asking for more. Y. Harish Chandra Prasad, Past Chairman, CII AP, and Chairman-Malaxmi Infra Ventures, said the budget announcement was disappointing for AP because the industries were expecting the finance minister to announce Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) connecting Vishakapatatnam and Kakinada, which was not to be.
“There is not much to be cheer about because Krishnapattanam Port is already been developed as the alternative port to Ennore and Chennai in terms of cargo, there nothing new that the finance minister has given bonanza. We would have been happy, if he had PCPIR between Vizak and Kakinada,” Harischandra Prasad said.
Expressing similar sentiment, secretary general of Federation of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FAPCCI), M V Rajeswar Rao said the benefit that AP was going to get from the Industrial Corridor was marginal, as he pegged it at 10 %. “It is not that a great thing has happened to AP. The state would get a marginal benefit provided the state government shows some commitment to provide basic infrastructure like power and water which at the given situation not hopeful,” Rajeswar Rao said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Hyderabad / by B V Shiva Shankar, TNN / February 28th, 2013