Industrial growth yet to pick up in Vizianagaram

Vizianagaram: The people, especially educated youth, is looking for employment and migrating to far away places in search of job in the district. Though the government has announced that it is going to set up many firms and industries that will create thousands of jobs to locals. But in reality, no jobs are created in the past four years and hundreds of people lost their jobs due to closure of ferro alloys and jute mills here.

As per the government announcement that the state has attracted investments of Rs 4.67 lakh crores in 2016 and in 2017, it was Rs 10.54 lakh crores and even the Vizianagaram district also attracted investments worth of Rs 12,000 crores in tourism and food processing sector but so far, no firm is grounded here.

On the other side, the jute mills like Uma jute mill, Aruna jute mills and Gopala Krishna were closed and thousands of workers have lost their jobs. The government is not taking any steps to re-open those firms.

B Ashok, assistant secretary of CPI, told “No government is working for the welfare of society and they are working for their personnel benefits only. Now, most jute workers became auto drivers and some others are working in small shops and malls.”

Joint director of industries M Udaya Bhaskar said, “The government is planning to set up micro, small and medium industries in every constituency and identifying the lands. Then some small firms will come up and they will generate employment to unemployed youth.”