CM inaugurates a host of development projects in GVMC, AU

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated five development programmes in Andhra University (AU) here on Tuesday.

During his visit to the city, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects close to Rs.900 crore, including Inorbit Mall, AU and GVMC.

As a part of it, Tech Start-up Incubation Centre Hub, Pharm Incubation-Element, AU Digital Zone and Smart Classroom Complex-Algorithm, AU School of International Business-AU SIB, AU Avanti Aqua Culture Innovation Skill Hub were inaugurated by the Chief Minister after laying foundation stone for the Inorbit Mall at Kailasapuram.

A hub has been designed as a platform for engineering students of AU to become future entrepreneurs. It has been built at a cost of Rs.21 crore in an area of 30,000-sqft at the AU Engineering College campus. About 121 start-ups have already been working in the hub and 114 are generating revenue.

A pharma incubation, biological monitoring hub element was set up with an area of about 55,000-sqft at a cost of Rs.44 crore. The ‘Element’ was facilitated to encourage start-up innovation in the pharmaceutical sector.

Meanwhile, Andhra University Digital Zone, Smart Classroom Complex established as Algorithm was constructed at a cost of Rs.35 crore in an area of 60,000-sqft. The facility has two seminar halls with 250-seating capacity, 15 smart classrooms and a floor with 500 computers for the purpose of conducting online examinations. Also, Andhra University School of International Business (AUSIB) was set up at a cost of Rs.15 crore in an area of 25,000-sqft. MBA course will be offered at AUSIB in collaboration with IIM-Visakhapatnam. Bachelor and PG courses in the fields of International Business and Analytics will be offered at the centre.

In addition, AU Avanti Aquaculture Innovation and Skill Hub was developed at the beach road in an area of 12,000-sqft. It was set up at a cost of around Rs.11 crore in the first phase of the project. As part of the MoU with Avanti Foundation, the centre will provide services to promote skill training and entrepreneurship in the field of marine farming.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the foundation stone for the development works of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation in the presence of Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development A Suresh, Health Minister Vidadala Rajini, IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath, Mayor G Hari Venkata Kumari and GVMC Commissioner CM Saikanth Varma, among others.

The development works of the GVMC were undertaken at a cost of Rs.134.58 crore for 47 works.

In line with it, about Rs.107.42 crore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme and Rs.16.10 crore for seven works under the Smart City scheme.

Similarly, foundation stones were laid for the projects at a cost of Rs.11.06 crore for eight projects with the funds’ support extended by the 15th Finance Commission.