Bahuda river: Odisha's proposal to Increase dam height to affect AP

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 27, 2013: After increasing the height of the Bhagalotti irrigation dam on Bahuda river by 9 metres, the Odisha government is reportedly planning to further increase the height of the dam by another five metres.

Irrigation experts are objecting to Odisha’s plan fearing that it would spell the doom for Ichapuram area under Srikakulam district bordering Odisha, which is already reeling under severe water crisis.

The 96-km long Bahuda flows through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh with a total catchment area of 1,250 square km. Of this, 226 sq km is in Andhra Pradesh.

The river originates from the Jarada Hills in Gajapathi district of neighbouring Odisha and enters Srikakulam district at Boddabada village of Ichapuram.

About 20 years back, the Odisha government had constructed this dam to cater to the needs of the people of that state. In 1975, the then chief ministers of Odisha and AP, Nilamani Routroy and Dr M. Chenna Reddy, respectively entered into an agreement to construct the dam and to release 1.5 tmc ft of water from it to Srikakulam.

“Since the last 20 years, we are not getting that 1.5 tmc ft of water from the dam.

Odisha government raised the height of the dam by nine more metres. If at the existing height we do not get water, what will happen if they increase the height of the dam?” asked a senior irrigation official.

Bahuda Ayacut provides water to 24,000 acres of land and also to nearly 95 villages in Srikakulam. 

“Its not just increasing the Bhagolatti Dam, Odisha is proposing to build a dam on Vamsadhara at Phanidongara, link the rivers Nagavali and Rushikulya, and construct a new project on Mahendratanaya river. These projects would definitely reduce the districts in north Andhra, especially Viziangaram and Srikakulam to desert,” pointed former chief engineer (irrigation) of state government, S Satyanrayana.

There are only two rivers having surplus yields that in Nagavali and Vamsadhara while other rivers are having deficit yields. Yields of Vamsadhara and Nagavali could not be utilized, because of problems with Odisha unsolved since Independence, in respect of Nagavali, Vamsadhara and Bahuda rivers, observed, Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika, president, SS Sivasankar.
“Irrigation projects of North Andhra are being neglected by the successive governments and unfortunately by people's representatives,” he added. 

Ganta man wins DCCB chair

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 19, 2013: The suspense over the DCCB chairman elections, was relieved finally on Tuesday. The candidate supported by ports and infrastructure minister, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, was  elected unanimously.

There were only two nominations — one by Yelamanchali MLA, Kannababu’s son Sukumar Varma and the other by Sunkari Giribabu, for the posts of chairman and vice-chief respectively.
With no one else in the fray, the election officer Praveena declared both the candidates elected unanimously in the presence of minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao.

Fissures in the district Congress, were out in the open again on Tuesday, as tribal welfare minister, P Balaraju, who was reportedly not in favour of Ganta Srininvasa Rao’s nominee Varma, kept away from the poll process at the DC-CB office in Marripalem.

Another strong aspirant to the DCCB post, DCC president, Karanam Dharma Sri’s nomination was rejected as the PACS he was representing announced a default.

After this Balaraju openly said that the party’s official candidate was not finalised by the leadership, hinting that he was not in favour of Varma.

It was widely speculated that the DCCB polls had turned into a turf war between Ganta and PCC  chief Botsa, who threw in his lot with Karanam Dharma Sri. Botsa is a  strong leader in this region belonging to the Viziangaram district.

After the merger with the PR, ports and infrastructure minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao emerged as  power centre with the backing of Chief Minister, the bête noire of the PCC chief.

It is widely known that Dharma Sri, who lost elections in 2009, was made DCC president only with the blessings of Botsa.

No Centre's nod for BHPV, BHEL merger

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 15, 2013: With the current financial year coming to a close soon, the workers, ancillary units and others dependent on Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels (BHPV) have lost hopes of its merger with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) in the near future.

They are of the opinion that the union government had postponed the merger proposal to the next, financial year, the last year of UPA II.

The BHPV-BHEL merger has been hanging fire since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, announced it in 2008.  Though the prime minister, announced BHPV would be totally merged into BHEL, the former was made only a subsidiary in May, 2008. Since then efforts were on by the trade unions of the BHPV and the local public representatives for the formal merger.

Recently, the merger was also approved by the BHEL Board and it is learnt to be looking for a legal firm for providing legal services for the merger. 

And the formal procedures for merger like getting clearance from Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR), Company Law Board and annual general body meeting of shareholders and Registrar of Companies were done and it is learnt that the merger file is now with the PMO, which has to be sent to union cabinet for final approval.

“Except promises on the merger nothing has been moving positively. We all expected union cabinet would give its nod before the budget session,” said CITU president Ajay Sarma.

The employees are also demanding implementation of 1997 and 2007 wage revisions and payment of arrears with retrospective effect.

With no direct orders to strengthen its financial position, BHPV is now working or processing the orders of BHEL-Trichy and Hyderabad which is affecting the rate contract vendors and around 25 ancillary units of the BHPV.

The delay in merger is also costing rate contract vendors heavily. These units involved in fabrication and structural works for BHPV are facing problems due to delay in settlement of bills.

“Now BHPV is totally dependant on BHEL Trichy and Hyderabad. Looks like the government had pushed the merger to the next financial year. There is no sign of any file movement in this regard at any level. And next year it’s the end of UPA II,” pointed Visakha Autonagar Small Scale Industrialists Welfare Association president Ramakrishna Pratap Narappareddy.

Green Visakha: City Green drive fails

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 14, 2013: The much hyped Green Visakha project, envisaged to make the city pollution-free, failed to achieve its set target.

Come March, and it will be one year that the Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy launched the project, a brain child of the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Science and Technology and Rajya Sabha member T. Subbarami Reddy.

In an attempt to check pollution in the city, surrounded by several industries and PSUs, the project aimed at planting 40 lakh saplings, in the next five years, with a target of eight lakh saplings each year.

Vuda is leading the project with its technical and supervisory support whereas; the AP Pollution Control Board and the district administration are coordinating the project with the support of PSUs and industries. Around 29 PSUs and other private industries were given targets of planting saplings and also the post plantation care.

While the efforts of Coromandel and NTPC were appreciated, as they are almost up to the mark, in planting the saplings as per the target given, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, HPCL and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant were lagging behind.

There were many review meetings held where PSUs were urged to reach the set targets. But there seems to be no response from them.

According to the official statistics, available with this newspaper, this year only 39 per cent of the target was achieved.

For instance against the target of planting 1.25 lakh saplings, VSP could plant only 22,000 and out of them only 40 per cent plants survived. VPT was also given a target to plant 1.25 lakh saplings and the port authorities could plant only 15,000.

Interestingly, while PSUs were not so serious about the project, private industries were successful in meeting the targets.

There are also objections raised by encroachers when that land is visited to plant saplings.

“We have been regularly monitoring the project. It’s unfortunate that even 50 per cent of the target was not achieved. We seek the intervention of district collector in the issue,” Vuda’s DFO, B.V.A. Krishna Murthy, told this correspondent. 

Slump in Euro market hits Vizag firms

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 7, 2013: The slump in the European market that began in 2011 and fierce competition from firms in the neighbouring Bangladesh has left many apparel manufacturers and export units sick.  These units were set up in the apparel export park developed by APIIC in Gajuwaka,

Many units, now running in the Park and intended to export to the international markets like USA and many European countries, had to shift their focus towards domestic market and local needs.

The authorities feel that this change will remain until the global markets revive to curtail any industrial unrest and employees losing jobs.

With an objective to set up a separate industrial area for export-oriented apparel units APIIC developed the export park in an area of 145.60 acres in block E of industrial estate at Gajuwaka, with the layout approval by the Vuda in 2007.

The export park was aimed at providing self-employment to 15,000 workers and wage employment to 60,000. It was proposed to produce export goods worth Rs 130 crore after the completion of the park and achieving full occupancy.

Except for five plots of the total 70 plots, developed in the export park, were allotted to various apparel manufacturing and export units. However only 9 units have launched their operations and remaining allottees are yet to begin their work.  They remained non starters.  And as many as 8 units declared sick and downed their shutters unable to cope up with the operational costs without much export orders.

The apparel export park was developed at a cost of Rs 27.53 cr, with the union government contributing Rs 17 cr, the state government Rs 6.05 cr and the implementing agency, the APIIC, the rest.

 “We had to shift our focus to local needs due to this downtrend in global market which refuses to die down. Now, we are getting orders from PSUs and other large and medium industries to manufacture workers uniforms. We are doing this to keep ourselves afloat with hope that the international market conditions would improve and open up,” said owner of a manufacturing unit in the apparel export park in Gajuwaka.

The units in the export park manufacture T-shirts, formal and casual shirts, jeans, woman tops. They also deal any garments related to cotton, knit and woven fabrics.

The department of industries is also holding series of meetings and promotional programmes with overseas clients in improving the situation.

“Many firms are yet to start their operations. Department of industries is trying hard to keep them afloat,” APIIC Zonal Manager, Ramana Murthy told this correspondent.

CID yet to launch probe into scam

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 6, 2013: More than three months after the vigilance and enforcement department was ordered to probe the biggest land scam in Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority worth Rs 542 crore, the state investigation agency is yet to begin its  investigation.

The vigilance report  pointed at involvement of senior officials including  Vuda’s vice-chairman and two IAS officials in the illegal allotments which led to a loss to the state’s exchequer to the tune of more than Rs 542 crore.

In view of the involvement of senior officials a CID probe was recommended. Though the vigilance department was to submit the report by mid July last year, after three extensions the report was finally submitted in October.

It is learnt that the vigilance sleuths recorded stat-ements and questioned more than 100 people as part of their probe.

Basing on the report, the state chief secretary issued a memo to the CID to register a case and investigate into the alleged  scam.

“While the CID insists on a formal complaint by Vuda to go ahead with the probe, Vuda senior officials say that the CID can file a case based on the directions of the chief secretary and investigate. The standoff between the two parties would definitely help those involved in the scam to  cover up their actions,” observed a Vuda official.

Reacting to media reports  that the irregularities had taken place during his  tenure as vice-chairman, Kona Sasidhar, submitted a report to the state government’s municipal administration department stating prima facie evidence was found on the said irregularities to the tune of `542 crore in various layouts developed by the urban development authority in Rushikonda, Madhurawa-da and many other areas.

Acting on the report, department of municipal administration and urban development issued GORT no: 341 on March 21 entrusting the job of probing into the alleged irregularities to the vigilance and enforcement wing and submit its report within 3 months.

The vice-chairman, in his  report, found fault with some of his staff members for conniving with outsiders in allotting valuable plots, lands to fake beneficiaries.

VSP staff ‘involved’ in steel smuggling

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 4, 2013: The demand for a  high level or CBI probe into the smuggling of finished products from Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is gaining momentum after suspected involvement of top level management of RINL.

Last Monday a CISF unit of VSP seized a truck inside the plant loaded with over 22 tonnes of steel rods of various sizes worth more than `50 lakh.

Trade unions of VSP workforce staged protests demanding a CBI probe alleging that the transport firm to which the truck belonged has been involved in this clandestine activity for the last  two years.

“Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is a totally computerised plant. Entry and exit gates are also computerized. Without a valid delivery document no gate pass can be issued, without gate pass product is not weighed.  Loading and invoicing, is also not possible. Therefore it is very clear that high level involvement from the management side is not ruled out. Hence, the case should be handed over to the CBI.,” said All India Steel Consumer Council member, Varasala Srinivasa Rao.

The incident also brought to light serious security lapses at the Navaratna company.

The main gates are not equipped with CCTVs nor x-ray scanners. It is alleged that valuable steel rods and steel coils worth lakhs is smuggled in the slag laden trucks.

“Loss of crores of rupees could have been curtailed if the x-ray scanners were installed to check smuggling. Every truck entering and leaving the premises should have been scanned instead of physical verification,” pointed another trade union leader.

Layout violators warned

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 2, 2013:  In an attempt to streamline the development in Vizag, Vuda authorities have decided to crack whip on the defaulters and violators. 

“Layout developments without any permission or approval from Vuda, building construction without proper plan, approvals and any deviation, would face criminal action apart from issue of notices, demolition and imposing penalty. We will act tough and are not going to spare anyone. Our responsibility is to ensure planned development. A system should be evolved to achieve it,” said Vuda vice-chairman, Mr N. Yuvaraj.

Their staff also was entrusted to identify such plan deviations, illegal constructions coming under Vuda jurisdiction and preparing a list to file complaints for criminal proceedings. Already Vuda, had earlier identified around 190 such illegal and unauthorised layouts in its jurisdiction and issued notices.

To bring in transparency, Mr Yuvaraj said that Vuda would very soon launch monitoring system with the help of IT to check accountability and fix responsibility for lapses. Vuda would very soon begin putting every rupee spent on public domain, by uploading details of the expenditure for public scrutiny. “We are also planning to introduce SMS facility to register grievances at public amenities, like parks and other amusement themes, maintained by Vuda. A tracking system of the file movement with the help of information technology would be launched for the convenience of general public who approach us,” he said and further added that unsold flats, plots since some years, in already developed layouts, will be auctioned soon.

Mr Yuvaraj said they would be very soon taking a call on whether to concentrate on housing or developing layouts.