Vijayawada set to regain its past glory

• City, once known as the political capital, lost out to Hyderabad
• With the new capital for AP coming up in the region, it is set to rise like a phoenix
• But leadership vacuum continues to haunt the region

Vijayawada: The Krishna and Guntur districts remain the most neglected areas for several years by the successive governments. The region was once the highly development with highest per capita income. But it was relegated to secondary role over the years. The suicide by farmers in this Krishna delta, known as rice bowl of the nation, exposed the apathy on the part of successive government in sustaining the development of the region.

However, the year 2014 has changed the situation and paved the way to bring back this vibrant city to its past glory. The city, which was once known as the political capital of the State, has once more become the focal point for the State politics thanks to the bifurcation of the State. The announcement of the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to locate the capital in this zone has brought life back to this city. But the leadership vacuum continues to haunt the city and region. The absence of leaders like Putchalapalli Sundaraiah, Chandra Rajeswara Rao, Makineni Basavapunnaiah, Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao, Kakani Venkatarathnam, K L Rao, Prof. N G Ranga, Vavilala Gopalakrishnaiah has robbed the region of its past glory.

After Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu assumed charge on June 8, 2014 on the spacious ground opposite the Acharya Nagarjuna University and thus helped give importance to the region. Interestingly, no party is opposed the location of the capital in the region due to its geographical advantage of being centrally located.

The State government, having decided to build new capital between the two cities, decided to move the Secretariat to the region by next June. Several State-level offices have already come to Vijayawada city. Agriculture and allied Departments, besides Agriculture University are to be located in Guntur. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences is also set to come up in the zone on 196 acres of land near Mangalagiri, thus giving importance to the area after a long time.

The State and the Central governments have plans to develop their establishments in these two cities. The Railways has already started developing Vijayawada and Guntur railway stations, besides Mangalagiri and Krishna Canal Junction. The Postal Department would soon be locating its circle office in Vijayawada, while the State’s lead bank – Andhra Bank – is establishing its State headquarters at Acharya Nagarjuna University campus.

The long pending demand to expand the Gannavaram airport is becoming a reality in the next couple of years as the State government proposes to develop it as international airport. The works on Machilipatnam Port too is set to begin its works with widening of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam road also to be taken up simultaneously. In all probability with the capital being located on the banks of river Krishna, the State government claims that the city would be the hub of tourism and other activities in the years to come.