International leather park to come up in Prakasam dist

Tadepalli: International leather park to come up in Prakasam distAn international leather park in 500 acre will be developed in Prakasam district which would provide employment opportunity to 10,000 people, said Leather Industries Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (LIDCAP) chairman Kakumanu Rajasekhar.

Addressing the media at the LIDCAP office here on Friday, the chairman said that LIDCAP would undertake various welfare programmes for the development of the Madiga community.

Rajasekhar said that he toured extensively all the districts in the state to take stock of the properties of the LIDCAP and studied the feasibility to provide opportunities for the economic benefit of the Madiga community. The report would be submitted to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy soon, he added.

He assailed the erstwhile government for 'weakening' the LIDCAP by not releasing sufficient funds. "An amount of Rs 100 crore was allocated in the budget; Rs 40 crore was released and Rs 25 crore was taken back," he recalled.

He said that a decision has been taken to establish training centres across the state to provide necessary training to the prospective people to provide employment to them.

The Centre had released Rs 20.58 crore funds for the training centres. The permanent training centres would be set up at Yadavalli in Prakasam district, G Konduru in Krishna district, Tirupati in Chittoor district, and at Addapoosala in Vizianagaram district at a cost of Rs 20 crore. Similar training centres would also be set up in all the districts.

It has been decided to construct LIDCAP building with all the facilities in one acre land at Auto Nagar in Vijayawada. Permission is awaited from the government and once it is accorded, the construction will start.

Rajsekhar said that plans are afoot for the welfare of the people who are eking out a livelihood by repairing shoes at street corners across the state. They would be given small bunks with solar-powered lights and fans at their work places.

Earlier, companies with a turnover of Rs 1 crore are eligible to undertake government contracts. Now the limit of the turnover would be reduced to Rs 25 lakh to bring in more persons of Scheduled Castes to get enrolled as contractors. He said that the Chief Minister was requested to supply shoes, bags, and other leather goods to the departments of the police, the RTC, electricity, irrigation and others and the Chief Minister had agreed in principle.

Reacting to the rumours that the LIDCAP land in Tirupati was encroached upon by some persons, he said that it was not true. The land adjoining to LIDCAP lands was encroached but not LIDCAP lands. Strict action would be taken against anyone who encroaches the lands of the LIDCAP, he asserted.