Sea cruise tourism in limbo

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 13, 2012: The tourism department’s efforts to make Vizag a sea cruise tourism hub in the state will not materialise soon, due to non-availability of a suitable place to develop a cruise terminal.

Of the available port area, only the present fishing harbour location is suitable. Though there was a proposal to shift the fishing harbour to Bheemili, it will at least take four years to do so.

Realising the potential, STAR cruise are approaching government for permission to start their cruise liners from Vizag to Port Blair; the tourism department plans to develop a cruise terminal at a cost of Rs.200 crore.

This cruise terminal will have a shopping mall, food courts, convention and business centre with first class amenities to attract foreign tourists too. “Though the waterfront at the Yerada Beach suits a terminal, backwaters there will not allow cruise liner vessels to be docked. There is a lot of pollution in the inner harbour. The fishing harbour is the ideal location with 12 feet draft depth to anchor the cruise, but the cruise terminal can come up only after the fishing harbour is shifted,” said Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) chairman Ajeya Kallam.

AMET Shipping which brought its cruise liner AMET Majesty to the city last August, also faced problems in berthing the vessel in the port.

Shifting the fishing harbour will take place as part of developing a satellite minor port at Bheemili, which the VPT will take up only after finishes its berth modernisation and mechanisation process that is underway at Vizag port.

“We will concentrate on Bheemili port development only after ongoing works of berth modernisation are completed. Later, we will appoint a consultant to prepare a detailed project report. It will take at least 12 to 16 months to get permissions from Mo-EF, and we expect a concrete shape to emerge some time during 2014 or 2015,” the VPT chairman said.

Maoists try to win over tribals

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Aug 13, 2012: Having realised that security forces are close to success in convincing local tribals that the Maoists are hindering their development, the latter are working hard to regain the confidence of locals who shield them in the thick forest tracts in the Agency areas of the three districts of north Andhra.

Clearly on an image makeover exercise, Maoists are, these days, wooing back tribals into their fold through distribution of rice and other essentials and are also promising them roads.

They are warning local traders to buy tribal produce at maximum prices to benefit tribals. Maoists thrashed two traders at the weekly market recently and warned all traders of dire consequences if they failed to purchase ginger cultivated by tribals at Rs.40 to Rs.50.

Now, for the first time in the Vizag Agency tracts, Maoists have started organising group video screenings of their welfare initiatives and activities for local tribals in the Dandakaranya region, with the help of latest hi tech gadgets.

Dharmana gets rousing welcome, claims innocence

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 12, 2012: In what can be seen as an image building and damage control exercise, followers of senior Congress leader Dharmana Prasada Rao gave him a roaring reception at both Vizag airport and in Srikakulam on his maiden visit to his home town after tendering his resignation from the Cabinet here on Tuesday.

Mr Prasada Rao, who resigned as roads and buildings minister after his name was included in the CBI’s charge-sheet of illegal land allotment in the Vanpic case, for the first time on Tuesday, visited Srikakulam, his hometown and constituency.

Though his resignation was not accepted by the Chief Minister and AP Congress affairs in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad told him to attend his regular duties as minister, Mr Prasada Rao was keeping away from his ministerial duties.

Interestingly, 33 days after he resigned from the state Cabinet, Prasad Rao visited Srikakulam as a local MLA, not in the capacity of a minister. He used the protocol and security of an MLA. Flexi boards and banners with captions “Adarsa (Ideal) Dharmana” welcomed him at the Vizag airport. His supporters and followers welcomed him with huge garlands and flowers at Vizag airport with sloganeering.

From Vizag airport he headed for Srikakulam by road where a similar scene was witnessed. Addressing a jam-packed audience of activists at the party office in Srikakulam, Mr Prasada Rao, in a high pitched emotional speech, expressed innocence, saying that the Vanpic allotments was done by the Cabinet as a whole; this was amidst thundering applause by his followers.

Real estate firms dupe public

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 11, 2012: Fraudsters have found a new way to dupe gullible people and make money. Promising vacant plots at a cheap price, many real estate firms are either collecting huge amounts in the form of deposits, promising repayment every month along with high interest, or easy installments as low as Rs.25 per day.

There are at least 20 real estate firms that are operating money deposit schemes, violating the norms. According to an agent of a real estate firm with its head office in Dwarkanagar, they collect around Rs.1 lakh against the registration of a 100 sq yard plot in their venture in S Kota on the border of Vizag and Vizianagaram districts. At the time of deposit, they promise to pay the customer Rs.3,500 every month for three years along with the registration of the plot, which is done at the time of receiving the deposit. After three years a customer gets back more money than paid initially and also a valuable plot, said the agent. The agent agreed that the layout does not have LRS approval from Vuda as the registration is done at the panchayat level. The agents also promise to open bank accounts and deposit the monthly pay back amounts. But in reality the firms register agriculture land without getting clearances under land conversion provisions. They convince the customers that it will not be difficult if a group of them approach the authorities after registration. Often, such pleas are turned down by authorities who ask purchasers to pay hefty amounts as conversion charges.

Visakhapatnam police recently arrested the managing director of My Home Ventures who promised a 100 sq yard plot for a daily payment of Rs.25 for three consecutive years. Investigations by police revealed that real estate firm promised disputed sites owned by others. The managing director of the firm collected around Rs.3 crore on a daily basis from more than 600 gullible customers.

Without a proper complaint, we cannot initiate action against such firms. These kind of transactions or activities do not come under our purview and our hands are tied. Of course we will jump into action once someone lodges complaint with us, said a senior police official.

YSRC cadre in a dilemma over Chengala

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 3, 2012 : With two time MLA Chengala Venkat Rao switching sides, more than TD cadre in Payakaraopeta, it is YSR Congress activists who are worried.

Though it is a blow to the TD in the district which is gearing up for a series of agitations over various issues like demanding a port at Nakakpalli, protes-ting the diversion of Yelu-ru water to East Godavari district, YSRC cadres too are now in a dilemma.

They are confused as to whom they should rally behind now — Mr Venkat Rao, who had always criticised their leaders and unsuccessfully contested the polls twice — or sitting MLA G. Babu Rao. Analysts opine that Mr Venkat Rao's entry into the YSRC will expose the fissures in the party and in all likelihood, brew more trouble for it.

According to reports Mr Venkat Rao's move was carefully orchestrated by YSRC leader Konatala Ramakrishna who is said to be uneasy ever since Mr Babu Rao won the bypolls with a margin of more than 14,000 votes. It is only to checkmate Mr Babu Rao that Mr Ramakrishna is said to have played a crucial role in bringing in Mr Venkat Rao, who is known for his aggressive attitude.

Adding fuel to the fire, Mr Venkat Rao, while announcing his decision to quit the TD, told reporters that he was assured of a party ticket by the YSRC state leadership to contest from Payakaraopeta, leaving sitting MLA Babu Rao red-faced.

Thotlakonda: Buddhists oppose land to health city

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Aug 29, 2012: Buddhists in north Andhra are up in arms over the department of tourism’s latest proposal to construct a traditional health city, Arogyadham, at Thotla-konda, where an archaeologically sensitive 3nd century BC Buddhist complex is located.

In a recent meeting with the tourism department’s top officials, the Union minister of state for HRD, Ms D. Purandeswari, reviewed the progress of the project which was taken up at a cost of Rs.50 crore on a 50-acre site at Thotlakonda.

Just a few months after state government backtracked on its allotment of 3 acres at Thotlakonda to the Indian Navy for laying a road, the tourism department’s latest proposal of allotment of 50 acres for tourism, has kicked up another controversy.

The Thotlakonda Buddhi-st complex located on a hillock overlooking the sea, 128 metres above sea level and about 15 km from the city, was the hub for the spread of Buddhism to Sri Lanka and South East Asian countries during the third century BC. It was discovered during an aerial survey by the Indian Navy in the 70s. Later, state government declared the entire hill as a protected monument through a GO on May 2, 1978. During his research between 2001 and 2003, an archaeologist working at the University of Michigan, US, Edward Lars Fogelin, discovered 134 sites connected to Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh, including a monastery at Thotlakonda.

“Our sentiments are attached to Thotlakonda. The entire hillock was already declared as archaeologically sensitive and a protected site under various provisions by state government. Tourism will ruin the entire place and also its sanctity,” All India Lay-Buddhist Organisation (AILBO), governing body member K.V. Ramana Rao told this newspaper.

Power cuts shock small units

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Aug 23: Reeling under severe power crisis and incurring heavy losses due to the exorbitant penalties levied on them for delay in their deliveries followed by a continuous power holiday since June, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have lost hopes of revival.

Tuesday’s announcement of extension of power holiday to one more day to the existing two, have added fuel to the fire of their woes.

“There was a crisis since September last year owing to the Sakalajanula Samme, but we had hoped that it would settle. Now, there is the announcement of a fresh three-day power holiday. We are not allowed to function normally,” said Visakha Autonagar Small Scale Industrialists Welfare Association president Ramakrishna Pratap Narappareddy.

There are around 600 micro, small and medium scale industry units being run in the district and all put together, they make a business turnover of Rs.200 crore per annum.

This year they have estimated a production loss of 40 per cent due to the continuous power crisis since last September when Singareni workers too joined the Sakalajanula Samme.

Around 20,000 workers, directly and indirectly, depend on these 600 units in the district. It is reliably learnt that layoffs have already started in most units with managements unable to pay wages.

Industrialists are seeking subsides from government to buy diesel generators as an alternate power supply method. A 63 kv diesel generator costs around Rs.8 lakh, and industrialists are seeking 60 per cent subsidy from government to buy the genset and also on fuel.

They are also suggesting setting up solar energy generation units as an alternative method to tide over the crisis to a certain extent.