A meeting was held on Tuesday between BJP Members of Parliament, Y Sujana Chowdary & TG Venkatesh, and heads of various associations from Visakhapatnam. The objective of the meeting was to highlight the various issues and pending projects in Visakhapatnam. Each issue and project was segmented as per the Ministry it pertains to. These issues and pending projects, as mentioned in a statement, are listed below.
#1 Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- Representation has to be sent to the Union Information Technology Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, for the establishment of C-DAC (Center for Development of Advanced Computing) at Visakhapatnam.
- An update has not been given on the IT Incubation Center that had been sanctioned earlier. Rs. 40 crore had been sanctioned to Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) but no further planning for the establishment has taken place so far.
- A request has been submitted for 10,000 more seats under India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) Scheme for Vizag.
- An Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) has been proposed for Vizag.
#2 Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- The establishment of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) has already been announced at a CII Partnership Summit. However, there has been no further discussion regarding the implementation of this idea.
#3 Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) had been sanctioned for Vizag. But these projects were later moved to Kakinada. These are to be managed as self-sustaining units and were sanctioned based on the viability of Vizag. As Kakinada does not have the necessary viability, these units were further put on hold by the head of these institutions. They have to be sanctioned and set up in Vizag because of the city’s high scope and viability.
- The Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM) had been approved which also was put on hold due to the State Government not having taken the next step. Establishing this institute, at Vizag, will boost the agricultural economy of the State.
#4 Ministry of Science and Technology
- No progress recorded on the National Institute of Oceanography which was decided to be established in Vizag and for which the foundation stone had been laid.
- The Bio-technology Incubation Centre (BIC) had been approved for Vizag but the plan has not been expedited further as the State Government did not send the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
#5 Ministry of Finance
- The reduction in IT, as per the Global average of 21%, has to be addressed.
- A request has been made for restricting the reopening of old cases to 3 years.
- Ease of Doing Business (EODB) has to be improved by banking sector reforms and the penal provisions pertaining to GST and TDS have to be reduced.
- GST has to be made payable only on receipt of money and not on the raise of an invoice.
#6 Ministry of Railways
- A request has been made for the sanction of 10 new glass coaches for the Vista Dome train from Vizag to Araku.
- A plea has been put in to deploy nine new high-speed trains (consisting of 5 passenger trains and 4 freight trains) from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Tirupati, Chennai, Vijayawada and Kolkata.
- Temperature-controlled cargo storage terminals have to be put up at Vizag, Rajahmundry, and Vijayawada.
- New rakes and coaches have to be approved for cargo storage at the Visakhapatnam Port.
- Funds have to be sanctioned (50 crores each) for improving Duvvada and Gopalapatnam stations.
- The bulb line at Visakhapatnam Railway Station is yet to be completed.
#7 Ministry of Shipping
- Sanction and handing over of 50 acres land to the Indian Navy is pending for the construction of the Parallel Taxi Track (PTT) at Vizag airport.
- Funds have to be dispersed for the improvement of the Pollution Control in the city.
#8 Ministry of Civil Aviation
- A new airport has to be constructed in Vizag.
- The cargo facilities and equipment, at the present airport, need to be improved.
- A direct flight from Vizag to Dubai is yet to be approved. The respective airline, for this sector, has already agreed for the same.
#9 Ministry of Tourism
- Two major tourism projects have to be sanctioned by the Centre, proposals for which have already been submitted by the State Government.
#10 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Upgradation of Governent Medical Colleges has to be done under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) scheme. Rs. 150 crores has to be sanctioned by the Centre for Andhra Medical College or King George Hospital (KGH).
#11 Other issues present in the city
- The planned Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) has to be fast-tracked.
- A timeline has to be fixed on the proposed coastal corridors under the Sagarmala Project and construction work has to begin immediately.
The respective BJP MPs have promised to take up the above-mentioned issues and pending projects with the Centre and work towards resolving them quickly.
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