By SNV Sudhir
Visakhapatnam, Sep 21, 2013: At the time when status of
Hyderabad, which has developed in leaps and bounds especially in the IT sector,
has become a bone of contention in resolving the present crisis of state bifurcation,
the union Cabinet’s approval for an IT Investment Region (ITIR) in Hyderabad on
Friday had come under bitter criticism from this region of Andhra Pradesh.
While the ITIR, with an aim to attract an approximate Rs 2.19
lakh cr investments was approved for Hyderabad ,
a similar proposal for Vizag has not
progressed beyond paper. Inadequate infrastructure has been identified as one
of the constraining factors being faced by the IT industry and in order to
address the same, the Department of Electronics & Information Technology
(DeitY) has notified the policy for setting up of ITIRs in the
country.
ITIR would be endowed with excellent infrastructure and
would reap the benefits of costing, networking and greater efficiency through
use of common infrastructure and support services. Under this, Special Economic
Zones (SEZs), Industrial Parks, Free Trade Zones, Warehousing Zones and
Export-oriented Units will come up. ITIR will attract more investment in the IT
and ITeS sectors and will provide more direct employment to the people.
The exports in IT sector will also increase.
After Hyderabad from
a humble beginning where software exports registered only Rs 15 crore in
2003-04 Vizag’s IT companies has crossed Rs 1,000 cr mark and done a business
of Rs 1,200 cr in 2011-12 fiscal. Besides, major players like IBM, HSBC, and
Mahindra Satyam there are around 100 small, medium and big IT, ITEs companies
operating in two IT SEZs in Rushikonda and in VSEZ.
As per the policy, in each state one ITIR is being sanctioned.
Accordingly, an ITIR for Hyderabad has
already been approved. As several small and medium IT companies and the
IT exports in and around Visakhapatnam are increasingly coming up every year,
the union minister of state for IT and Telecommunications, Killi Kruparani who
represents neighbouring Srikakulam constituency felt the need for setting up of
ITIR in Visakhapatnam and earlier said
the proposal was approved in principle.
Later, except for a meeting on Aug 7 at New Delhi asking the department officials to
speed up the sanctioning of ITIR for Vizag there has been no logical step
further. “Centre should take back the proposal. Hyderabad had already attracted so many
thousands of crores of rupees investments in IT sector and again they have
announced ITIR there. Vizag is considered as a next IT destination in the state
after Hyderabad .
But the city had always got a raw deal. How can they take a decision on such a
big investment region in Hyderabad
when Samaikyandhra agitation is at peaks, which was due to the imbalance in the
development in Seemandhra regions,” said Rushikonda IT Park Association
(RITPA), President, P Vishnu Kumar Raju.
The move also
provided enough ammunition for the political parties that are busy advocating
Samaikyandhra stir. “From tomorrow onwards we are planning a series of
agitations protesting inefficiency of union ministers sfrom Seemandhra region
in bringing such an ITIR for Vizag. If such an ITIR comes up here it will be
helpful for the youth of three districts of north Andhra. We have union
ministers Purandheswari and Killi Kruparani who represents the same ministry
from this region but they are of no use,” said TD district youth wing
president, Lodagala Krishna.
Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika president, SS Shivasankar termed
the Centre’s decision on ITIR at Hyderabad
was gross injustice to Vizag.
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