VISHAKAPATANAM: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled ‘Vision Visakha’, a comprehensive plan to develop Visakhapatnam over the next decade into a megacity on the East coast that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s finest centres of progress, innovation, finance, and fintech.
*The CM proposed investment to the tune of Rs 1,05,000 crores over the next 10 years* to enhance the robustness of connectivity, physical and social infrastructure, industry landscape, and sustainability, ensuring that Vizag becomes not only the most sought-after investment destination but also one of the best liveable cities in the world.
Addressing an august gathering, CM Jagan not only reflected on the reasons why Visakhapatnam should be developed as the capital but also laid out an ambitious roadmap for the same.
CM Jagan began the address by highlighting the unjust bifurcation of the State. He remarked, ‘The state’s bifurcation deprived Andhra Pradesh of Hyderabad city and the economic benefits associated with it.
All the economic resources including 90% of the PSUs, which largely contribute to the growth of the state’s tertiary/service sector, were stationed in Hyderabad. Due to the excessive concentration of investments in Hyderabad including IDPL, NMDC, NFC, and IICT, the rest of Andhra Pradesh remained largely agrarian.
To bring about a change, we should focus on Vizag’s growth story so that ten years down the line we can compete with Hyderabad and Bangalore.’
He then went on to say, ‘Time has come for us to leverage our inherent advantages, notably our 974 km coastline, the second longest in the country, which holds immense potential for port-led development. To harness this potential, the YSRCP government is in the process of establishing 4 new ports.
We are rapidly developing ports with an investment of Rs 16,000 crore. These ports will not only attract investments but also create numerous employment opportunities across various sectors such as Cement, Pharmaceuticals, Food Processing, Textiles, Fertilizers, including green ammonia, solar PV manufacturing, and more.’
He added, ‘The State Government is also embarking on a significant initiative to establish 10 new fishing harbours and 6 fish landing centres, aimed at bolstering the blue economy.
Additionally, the government is spearheading the development of a greenfield Electronics Manufacturing Cluster at Kopparty in YSR Kadapa district, along with industrial infrastructure parks in Atchutapuram, Orvakal, and Krishnapatnam.’
Outlining his vision for Vizag, CM Jagan said, ‘I want to build iconic infrastructure in Vizag, something which not just the entire country but the world looks up to. We have envisioned building an iconic secretariat, iconic convention centre, iconic stadium, and institute of emerging technologies in Vizag.
Today, unfortunately, the only person standing for Vizag as executive capital is me. Fighting against the opposition and the vested interest of the media.’ Asserting his commitment, he added, ‘I am assuring you, my focus is on developing Vizag. After the elections, I will be residing in Vizag. This is my commitment to Vizag.’
Elaborating on how Visakhapatnam has a natural geographical advantage to be developed just the way he has envisioned, CM Jagan stated, ‘While I have nothing against Amaravati, the fact is that the estimated cost for just laying basic infrastructure like electricity, and roads in the barren lands of Amaravati, as per the previous government’s DPR (detailed project report), was over 1 lakh crore.
However, 20 years ahead, this figure could escalate to 10 or even 15 lakh crore, making it a seemingly unattainable dream. In contrast, Vizag is already equipped with infrastructure such as roads and electricity; it simply requires the finishing touches, including the construction of an iconic building,’ he remarked.
Condemning the Opposition for spreading a false narrative on Vizag, CM Jagan said, ‘The opposition, along with certain media outlets, are shamelessly pushing negative propaganda regarding our move to shift to Visakhapatnam.
They are fabricating stories about land grabbing simply because they don’t want me to relocate to Vizag and christen it as the executive capital.’ He continued, ‘Their stiff opposition to this move stems from their vested interests as they have purchased ‘benami’ lands elsewhere in anticipation of the location of the capital.
It is solely my endeavour to make Vizag the capital, as the city must become AP’s growth engine if we are to compete with Hyderabad and Bangalore.’