Visakhapatnam: Port City likely to witness speedy growth

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam is soon going to witness 'mahardasa' (a great future) as it will be developed on a war-footing beyond one's imagination.

Rajya Sabha MP V Vijaya Sai Reddy laid emphasis on this point in the month of October during a conference. One-and-a-half-a-month later, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy advocated decentralised development, suggesting the concept of three capitals spreading over Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Amaravati in the Assembly.

Going by the hints dropped by the top YSRCP leaders, the exercise to make Visakhapatnam an executive capital gained pace a couple of months ago itself.

On Friday, the six-member panel led by IAS Officer (Retd) G N Rao submitted its report parroting the CM's idea of decentralised development, by making Visakhapatnam as the executive capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital while retaining Amaravati as the legislative capital.

A few months ago, officials concerned were asked to identify unused available government lands as well as buildings as part of the 'Mission Build AP.' More government lands and buildings have been identified at Bheemunipatnam and Anandapuram mandals. According to sources, there is a scope to set up CM's camp office at IT Park, Rushikonda.

In view of this, some of the start-ups at IT Park have already been vacated from the premises a few months back, making it available for future requirement. With Visakhapatnam being bestowed with required infrastructure, the Chief Minister mentioned that it can be considered an executive capital sans much investment.

With the exercise of developing Visakhapatnam as an executive capital gaining momentum a few months ahead, leaders of Opposition did not rule out the possibility of 'insider trading'. Welcoming the CM's concept of decentralised development, Visakhapatnam West constituency MLA P G V R Naidu (Ganababu) described it as a progressive step as among other amenities, metro rail project will become a reality soon.

"However, YSRCP accused the TDP of resorting to insider trading when Amaravati was being developed. Though the Telugu Desam denies the allegation, going by the YSRCP's logic, should one infer that the government is also up the same game?" he wonders.