Seemandhra ministers differ on T

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 24, 2013:  Differences among Seemandhra ministers over the AP Reorganisation Bill came to the fore in Vizag. Minor irrigation minister, TG Venkatesh, a strong votary of Samaikyandhra and health minister Kondru Murali who has softened his stance on Samaikyandhra, expressed divergent views on the Bill while addressing media persons at a programme organised here on Tuesday. Ministers Yerasu Pratap Reddy, and Ganta Srinivasa Rao also participated in the programme. The ministers laid foundation stone for a farmers training centre in the city.

While Venkatesh found fault with the Bill stating there was nothing in it that would help the development of the region, Murali hoped that Seemandhra region would prosper after the division, given the proposals in the Bill.

Venkatesh reiterated the need to delay the discussion on the Bill in the state assembly to stop the state bifurcation. “We will stop the Bill, which is against the aspirations and sentiments of the Seemandhra public. If the Bill is passed in the Parliament Seemandhra will be at loss. To stop the Bill from being passed public should go to Delhi and besiege Parliament. If the discussion on the Bill is taken up a wrong message will go to public that Seemandhra ministers, MLAs have accepted to the bifurcation. Everyone should come forward irrespective of political parties to stop the Bill at every stage,” said Venkatesh.

Murali said that Seemandhra would be benefited, if  the proposals by the GoM in the Bill be implemented. “Am confident that Seemandhra will  benefit with the 8 proposals made by the GoM in the Bill. A new railway zone, IIT will come up in the region,” he said and added that he will continue in Congress party even if the state is divided. Murali exuded confidence of Congress winning maximum seats in Seemandhra too even after state bifurcation.

Meanwhile, law minister, Yerasau Pratap Reddy, who also spoke to reporters, said that they would strive to stop bifurcation of the state.

Naidu tries to boost cadre's morale

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 25, 2013 : TD chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who was in Vizag to attend the wedding of Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao’s daughter, used the opportunity to interact with local party leaders in the region and set them going for the 2014 polls.

Interestingly, he allowed almost everyone who desired to meet him a chance to do so and made efforts to boost the morale of the grassroots leaders who were worried over their sagging fortunes in the event of bifurcation, and the alleged dubious stance of Naidu on it.

He held a series of meetings with the party leaders of the district at a hotel after attending the wedding.

There were said to be enough fireworks during the interactions. Former minister and TD politburo member Ch Ayyana Patrudu, who met Naidu, said to have expressed his strong opposition to Ganta Srinivasa Rao’s rumoured entry into the party.

Rao and Patrudu are known rivals in the TD since the former was in the party before joining the erstwhile PRP. Patrudu has been openly expressing his opposition towards Rao’s re-entry. There are speculations that Ganta Srinivasa Rao due to the virtue of PRP merged in Congress has become a minister in the state cabinet has decided to return to TD.

 “Legendary NTR has launched TD 38 years back with so many good ideals. I wish that opportunists would not be entertained in the party. And it’s up to our leader N Chandrababu Naidu if he wants to take take in leaders who change colours too often,” Ayyana Patrudu told reporters after meeting Naidu at the hotel making indirect reference to Ganta Srinivasa Rao.

Meanwhile, TD MLA Payyavula Kesav hoped that the 2014 polls would be held in united Andhra Pradesh and the TD would regain its strength in both the regions of Seemandhra and Telangana. He stressed for the need to discuss the AP Reorganisation bill in the state assembly which he fely had many loopholes that needed to be pointed out. Rajyasabha member, CM Ramesh was confident that the state would not be divided before 2014 general elections. 

VIP rush in Vizag for big wedding

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 23, 2013: Police and district officials of various government departments were kept on tenterhooks due to the last minute arrangements for the visit of VIPs to attend a high profile wedding on Wednesday.

More than half the state Cabinet ministers, MPs, a few Union ministers, and around 50 MLAs, bureaucrats, leaders of various political parties are going to reach Vizag from Tuesday to attend wedding of ports and infrastructure minister, Ganta Srinivas Rao’s daughter.

Police and other district officials were busy in security arrangements, to provide accommodation and other protocol obligations to the VVIP guests on the list.

The high profile wedding is slated to be held on Wednesday morning.  Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Governor, E.S.L. Narasimhan and Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah have confirmed their coming.

With the government circuit house having limited accommodation and given the long list of the guests, officials had to find rooms for them at star hotels on the Beach Road and at guest houses belonging to various PSUs located in the vicinity.

To avoid any embarrassment, GVMC staff had worked overtime to repair the potholes on the road leading to the wedding venue — AU Engineering College Grounds — where a huge film set was erected.

Artisans and Tollywood workers from Hyderabad were sweating it out for a week to construct the venue. Union tourism minister K. Chiranjeevi would be the main attraction at the wedding while political observers are waiting to see if TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu would attend the wedding or not.

Ganta Srinivasa Rao has begun his political career as a TD MP from Anakaplle and there are speculations that he is likely to switch over to the regional party shortly due to the Congress decision to  bifurcate the state. Rao too personally visited Naidu to invite him to  the wedding.

There were many rounds of meetings by the senior district officials  and the police on the arrangements. "We have entrusted the job of  accommodation of a minister to the respective department staff. However, we are reviewing and monitoring the protocol and other issues  from time to time so that there will not be any lapses," said a senior  district official.

Tourism projects in Vizag in limbo, no pacts inked

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 22, 2013: The state government’s ambitious tourism projects in Vizag, to showcase the city as the tourists’ next destination in Andhra Pradesh are in a limbo. The increased land prices and policy of state tourism department to entrust the projects to private players on lease basis instead of Hyderabad model of revenue sharing, had discouraged many potential private parties to take up the projects.

The consultant appointed by the Centre and the state government, IL&FS prepared more than 11 Detailed Project Reports (DPR), two years back and 29 firms responded to the global expression of interests called last year for five of the DPRs. However, none came forward to sign the agreements with the state government to kick start the works.

After identifying the city’s tourism potential and its rich natural resources, the union government in 2011 entrusted the job of preparing a blue print of ‘attractions’ to be set up in Vizag to India's leading infrastructure development and finance firm, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS).

Except offering tour packages on a couple of websites of the tourism department there was no attempt to make outsiders know about Vizag. Apart from 17 tourist spots in the city, besides enchanting Araku valley, centuries old Borra caves, the north Andhra region has more than 100 heritage sites.

Of the 100 heritage sites more than 12 are age old Buddhist monuments which can attract tourists from most Asian countries.  Except Visakha Utsav which was held last in 2005 no event was held, even planned in recent times to showcase the city.

The IL & FS officials have prepared DPRs for around 11 mega tourism projects at a cost of Rs 1,800 cr. Of the 11, around 5 projects at a cost of Rs 850 cr were approved in principle by the union tourism ministry.

Global tenders were also called for 5 projects. Around 29 submitted their technical and financial bids, out of which, 28 were qualified. The tourism department had also finalised the tenders after receiving request of proposals from the successful qualified bidders.  But no firm has evinced interest in signing the agreements after looking into the actual modalities of handling the project.

The state government had fixed the land price at Rs 4 crs per acre and asked the successful bidders to pay 5 percent of the price as an annual lease amount per acre. The lease policy has discouraged the potential bidders.

The IL & FS has recently written to the state government to review the policy to attract investors. “The lease model is not at all viable. Each project requires at least 20 acres of land and after that they need to pump in so much of money to develop the tourist attraction. Whereas in Hyderabad, state adapted revenue sharing model for projects like HICC, Samshabad airport, which is viable and encourages investors. Unless state government changes the policy no project can be grounded in Vizag. We should have actually signed the agreements and grounded the projects by now. Hope we get a positive response from the state government for the letter we have written on change in the pattern. We are waiting for that to go ahead,” a top official at IL &FS told this correspondent.

The 5 DPRs belonged to Multi Theme Park at Madhurawada in 100 acres, Wonders of the world park at Yendada in 40 acres, international convention centre at Madhurawada in 20 acres, science city near Thotlakonda in 25 acres and Arogyadham-traditional health care centre at Madhurawada in 20 acres.

The remaining 6 projects are giant Ferris wheel, Vizag Eye, on the lines of London Eye,  fourth generation aqua Marine Park with 180degree view, for which a suitable location is identified at Endada, a sea cruise terminal, dedicated tourism train to Araku, rope way at Meghadrigedda and another theme park. All the works would be taken up under PPP mode.

Vizag’s debutant MLAs uncertain about their political future

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 22, 2013: The debutant MLAs, irrespective of political parties, in Vizag district are at crossroads and worried lot what with their future seeming uncertain.

The emergence of YSR Congress, as a strong force in the region, and the Congress led UPA’s decision to bifurcate the state have made things worse for these budding politicians.

 As many as 11, out of the total 15 MLAs of Vizag, are new entrants to politics, having contested for the first time in 2009 polls. These legislators have lost hopes on switching loyalty as ‘berths’ in the other parties are full.  

Of the, four belong to Telugu Desam and seven to the Congress and they are considering it the end of their political career, which had begun five years back though.

MLAs Muthamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, Chinthalapudi Venkataramaiah have switched loyalty to the Congress from PRP, after its merger with the grand old party. They contested the 2009 polls on PRP tickets.

Payakaraopeta, MLA, Golla Babu Rao had jumped the fence long back from Congress and was reelected during a by poll on the YSR Congress ticket. Rest of the Congress MLAs including, Tainala Vijay Kumar, Bolem Mutyala Papa and Malla Vijay Prasad are perturbed about their future, in view of the misrule, anti incumbency wave in the region, which has grown more strong following the Centre’s decision on Telangana.

Similar is the condition of TD MLAs, G Ramu Naidu, KSN Raju, Siveri Soma and V Ramakrishna Babu. They feel that that the ongoing Samaikyandhra stir and the ambiguous stance of their party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on state division would dent their prospects in 2014 polls, if they contest from the state party.

Political observers are pointing that most of these MLAs of both TD and  Congress have no option than stick to their respective parties and rue at their fortunes, wait for another round of assembly polls to come in 2019.

“We are literally at crossroads. We don’t know what to do and where to go. Public mood is clearly against us. There is no doubt about it and at the same time we are not sure which party has the edge. Even though there is an offer from a party am not sure whether I can win on that ticket. Some of us even don’t have any offer or invitation from other parties and their situation is most pathetic,” a ruling party’s first time MLA told this correspondent.    

BJP fights for Seemandhra

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 21, 2013: In a bid to change its pro-Telangana image and increase political prospects in Seemandhra, the BJP leaders from the region have vowed to mount pressure on the party central leadership to demand justice to the region, when the AP Reorganisation Bill comes for discussion in the Parliament.

Expressing displeasure at the raw deal meted out to Seemandhra region without any time-bound committed assurances in the Bill, BJP national disciplinary committee member Kambhampati Haribabu hoped that the party leadership would definitely fight for the rightful share of Seemandhra, in the event of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Terming the assurances given to Seemandhra in the Bill as ‘hollow promises’, Haribabu, speaking to mediapersons here on Thursday, came down heavily on Jairam Ramesh, a member of the GoM appointed by the union cabinet to look into the bifurcation process, for allegedly acting in favour of Telanagana on construction of Polvaram project.

“Ramesh had openly said that he is against the Polavaram project. And instead of including Polvaram as multi-purpose project in the Bill, it was termed as just any ordinary irrigation project. There is no firm assurance how the Centre would fund the project. The Bill also says that the project can be taken up with the consultation of both the states. How can we expect that the Telangana government would support construction of Polavaram, when everyone in that region is opposing it.”

Haribabu said Polavaram project can be a reality only if Bhadhrachalam division, some parts of which fall in the submergence area of Polavaram, can be given back to Seemandhra.

He reminded that until 1959, from 1840, Bhadhrachalam was part of EG district and that it was made part of Khammam, only for the administrative convenience, three years after Andhra Pradesh was formed.

The BJP on Friday staged demonstrations and protests across Viziangaram and Vizag, demanding justice to the region in the event of the bifurcation of the state. Party cadres in large numbers took part in the protests, burnt copies of AP Reorganisation Bill and effigies of Union rural development minister, Jairam Ramesh for ignoring the interests of the Seemandhra people.

Issues raked up by them include, the multi-purpose Polavaram project, addition of Bhadrachalam division to Seemandhra, Hyderabad revenue sharing and development of infrastructure and institutes of excellence. The Polavaram project was initially envisaged as a multi-purpose project covering power, irrigation and drinking water but now they claim, the Congress has reduced it to a mere irrigation project.

“Being a member of the GoM, Jairam Ramesh should be neutral but he is acting in favour of Telangana,” said BJP national disciplinary committee, member, K. Haribabu. The BJP activists gathered in large numbers at the Mahatma Gandhi statue opposite to GVMC office and raised slogans against Jairam Ramesh.

They demanded the Centre announce time bound committed assurances on the financial package for the development of Seemandhra and its capital. They also demanded inclusion of Bhadrachalam division into residuary state for the completion of Polavaram project.

Vizag IT facilities fail to attract entrepreneurs

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Dec 11, 2013: Contrary to the demand from IT companies to set up operations in Vijayawada and Guntur considering them low cost destinations, there is no demand from IT entrepreneurs to start their units in Vizag, which is considered as next IT destination in Andhra Pradesh after, Hyderabad.

Blame it on state government policy, there are no takers for the plots at the IT/ITES SEZ in Gambheeram, which was notified by the union ministry of commerce, way back in April 2009.

No IT entrepreneur has come forward to take these plots at IT SEZ in Ganbheeram which was developed by the APIIC, in an extent of 51.28 acres around 20kms away from the city. All the 28 plots are still vacant since 5 years.

Interestingly the Gambheeram IT Park proposal has created real estate boom in the surroundings. Realtors use “near Gambheeram IT Park’ in their brochures to attract people to buy plots in the layouts developed by them in the area.

The APIIC also fixed an upset price of Rs 3,140 per square meter that has to be deposited to get the lease at Gambheeram IT Park.

“The SEZ policy for IT parks should be blamed for this situation. This is pathetic that even after 5 years not even a single company has come forward to begin the operations. Even after paying so much money as deposit it is conditional lease and there is no land ownership. The lease holder can’t sub lease it. Most of the IT companies that are actually looking at Vizag are domestic and midsized.  These factors are discouraging them. There is also no social infrastructure around. Upon that the land upset price at Gambheeram is also too high,” said Rushikonda IT Park Association (RITPA), vice president, O Naresh Kumar.

At present there are two IT parks in Madhurawada and one in Duvvada SEZ. The IT entrepreneurs are asking the authorities to de notify these IT Parks from being SEZ to encourage new investments.

There are around 100 medium, small and big IT and ITES firms operating in Vizag employing around 10,000.  Most of the units functioning in Vizag, deal in end-to-end business integration, medical billing, financial information processing, ERP product, content management, networking, business, recruitment process outsourcing, and medical transcription.

“There were only a couple of applications for the plots at Gambheeram IT SEZ and they couldn’t be processed due to various reasons including lack of interest too from the applicants. After seeing the abysmal response we wrote to our higher authorities seeking to de notify Gambheeram IT SEZ and also Rushikonda IT SEZ to encourage IT entrepreneurs and we are waiting for further orders,” said APIIC Zonal Manager, V Nagabhushan Reddy told this correspondent.