'My swearing in ceremony will be in Vizag’: CM

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy exuded confidence that his swearing in ceremony will be in Visakhapatnam.

Sharing his commitment to the ‘City of Destiny’ along with his present and future plans at the ‘Vision Vizag’ programme organised in the city on Tuesday, involving about 2,000 delegates, industrialists and experts, the Chief Minister assured that he would be staying in Visakhapatnam post elections. “In the next 10 years from now, Vizag is going to be transformed into a much better destination. An iconic secretariat, stadium and Jio Convention Centre, Institute of Emerging Technologies, Data Centres, among several others, would be coming up in Visakhapatnam,” the Chief Minister announced.

Such iconic structures, the CM said, would pitch Vizag on a global scale and make the world look at the city from altogether a new lens. “The connectivity from Bhogapuram International Airport would aid in taking off a horizontal growth corridor,” the Chief Minister explained, adding that a high speed rail corridor would also be proposed for enhanced connectivity.

Getting funds for the metro rail project is not a difficult exercise and it would be pursued with the Centre, the CM stated. “All these projects are not unachievable. In the next decade, the state government is envisaging to develop Visakhapatnam with realisable targets in a staggered manner that aids in boosting the economy of the state way forward,” he confirmed.

Further, the Chief Minister stated that the focus is on the decentralised growth of Andhra Pradesh and informed that it requires passion to transform Visakhapatnam on a par with other metro cities. “I have nothing against Amaravathi. But it is in virgin land and requires minimum Rs.1 lakh crore of investment to develop even basic infrastructure there. However, with a little investment and ‘finishing touches’, Visakhapatnam, equipped with all the basic infrastructure, could be transformed on a par with Hyderabad or Chennai or Bengaluru,” the Chief Minister reasoned.

Reiterating that the Opposition and a section of media are making a big hue and cry whenever steps towards making Vizag as the executive capital are considered, the Chief Minister said, "If the vision of the leader is negative, the state will not witness signs of growth. We need to think in terms of growth and Vizag needs to be developed."

With all the iconic amenities in place, the Chief Minister said he will also eventually move to Vizag. “If the Chief Minister is stationed in the city, it would attract other people to settle here as well. In a decade from now, Visakhapatnam is certain to compete with the best in the country and world,” the CM envisaged.

A coffee table book was launched by the Chief Minister in the presence of ministers Botcha Satyanarayana, Vidadala Rajini and Gudivada Amarnath and special chief secretary Y Srilakshmi, among others.