Vishakhapatnam (Vizag) projects and infrastructure

[yalla_vamsi]

City set to become shipping transport hub

With increasing demand and vast hinterland stretching over Odisha, Chattisgarh West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, the port sector traffic in Visakhapatnam region is set to witness a quantum jump in the years to come.

As of now, the two ports located in the city – Visakhapatnam Port in the public sector – the second largest port in India and Gangavaram Port – a minor port developed by Gangavaram Port Ltd (GPL) in 2009 under Public Private Partnership mode handle an annual cargo of 85 million tonne.

The participants at the East Coast Business Summit held in the city sometime ago overwhelmingly felt that the region with deep draft facility offers a splendid opportunity for making a shipping hub on the East Coast. The direct flight availability to Singapore close on the heels of launching air-link to Dubai is also expected to facilitate easy access to investors world-wide.

The ambitious Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, alumina refineries, proposed Greenfield oil refinery by HPCL along with other partners and the expansion programme of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, will further give a fillip to the development of the Visakhapatnam, very often dubbed as ‘City with a future.’

Realising the need to handle high volume of traffic, Visakhapatnam Port has already finalised a blueprint to handle 130 million tonne by 2016-17 with an investment of Rs.13,000 crore. The port handled a throughput of 67.41 million tonne during 2011-12.

The Visakhapatnam Port Trust is in the process of finalising a consultant to prepare a harbour blueprint and layout at Mulakedu, near Bhimunipatnam for setting up a satellite port with an estimated investment of Rs.2,000 crore.

Gangavaram Port is investing nearly Rs.1,000 crore to expand its handling capacity from 16.54 million tonne to 40.95 million tonne.

Feasibility study

RINL has engaged a consultant for a feasibility study on developing a captive jetty at Gangavaram to save freight cost. At present, it depends on Gangavaram port located on its backyard for transporting its raw material and finished products.

Sources said the State Government is also keen to promote minor ports at Bhimunipatnam, Kalingapatnam, Bhavanapadu and other places in North Andhra to cash in on the growing demand for transporting cargo by sea.

“The Look East’ policy and growth in the manufacturing sector, development of Special Economic Zones and industrial enclaves offer ample scope for growth and I am confident of a very bright future for port sector in the region,” Capt. Sriram Ravi Chander, COO of Vizag Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd. told The Hindu .


State keen on promoting minor ports at Bhimunipatnam, Kalingapatnam and Bhavanapadu

The ‘Look East’ policy will play dividends, says COO, Vizag Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd.

SOURCE :- HINDU

[yalla_vamsi]

Maruti Suzuki looking to set up stockyard in city

With the city emerging as a leading investment destination in the region due to its vast hinterland and good connectivity, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), India’s leading car manufacturer, is now evincing interest in setting up a stockyard in the city to accelerate delivery of Swift DZire and its other popular variants.

Confirming this to The Hindu during his maiden visit to the city, Maruti Suzuki Chief Operating Officer (HR, Finance & IT) S.Y. Siddiqui said on Wednesday the company planned to set up five region-specific stockyards to maintain stocks of cars and spare parts to speed up delivery time. The company has already started a stockyard in Bangalore and is in the process of setting up new stockyards in Nagpur, Ranchi, and Siliguri.

Impressed by the investment climate in the city, Mr Siddiqui said he was examining the city as an option for a stockyard in the region for which MSIL was scouting for an ideal location.

Mr. Siddiqui said with normality restored at Manesar and full production at Gurgaon, they were looking at raising the production to 1.8 million units a year. Land acquisition for Hasnalpur site near Mehsana in Gujarat has been completed. The facility envisages an investment of Rs.4,000 crore to roll out cars in 2015-16.

He said Alto 800 launched recently had turned into a big hit with 14,000 deliveries and 48,000 bookings. “As we are not compromising on quality and technology, there is delay in delivery.

Once we develop five stockyards and ramp up production in Gujarat, the speed of delivery will go up remarkably,” he pointed out.

Earlier, during a visit to GITAM University, its president M.V.V.S. Murthi asked Mr. Siddiqui to consider establishing a car manufacturing unit in the city due to location of India’s premier port – Visakhapatnam Port and deep draft futuristic port Gangavaram in the region.

SOURCE :-

HINDU

[yalla_vamsi]

Vizag turns into an ideal destination for investors

The visit of top envoys from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom to Visakhapatnam in a short span of three months is recognition of the growing importance of the city as a destination for investment.

Diplomats from eight ASEAN countries who attended a summit organised by CII, and those who attended the East Coast Maritime Summit made several proposals for investment. CII wants to develop Vizag as steel, IT and education hub.

Improvement in internal and international connectivity, huge hinterland extending up to West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, crime-free status of the city and its strategic location makes it a perfect place for investment in various fields.

“The city has readymade infrastructure and it has lot of potential for investment in health care, education, research and development, fisheries and industries,” Michael Carter, Trade Commissioner & Consul Commercial, Australian Trade Commission, told The Hindu during his recent visit.

The city is fast emerging as a hub for manufacturing and service sectors. Given the recent trend in industrial growth and in view of Telangana agitation, many are finding Vizag a safe bet. The city also has several centres of excellence.

The development and promotion of Vizag–Kakinada area as Petroleum Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Region further reiterates the need for better ties between the industries in Vizag and Industries in rest of the world, T.K. Chand, Director (Commercial) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, told this correspondent. Mr. Chand, who is the zonal chairman of CII, said the interest shown by many Indian and foreign firms to invest in Vizag, was itself a pointer to the growing importance of the city as an investment destination.

VSP has almost completed its expansion from 3.1 to 6.3 million tonne with an investment of Rs.9,000 crore and has plans to upgrade its facilities and expand its capacity to 11 million tonne by investing Rs.22,000 crore.

Vizag’s strength derives from a robust telecom and physical infrastructure, large pool of skilled manpower, strategic location, conducive policy coupled with proactive Government-backed initiatives, said G. Sambasiva Rao, Managing Director of Sravan Shipping Services Pvt. Ltd.

“Certainly, these multiple facets of our engagement with global economy will help us propel its growth . Continued economic reform and liberalisation will help further boost this surging momentum and spread the benefits of rapid economic growth to more recipients across the State and India,” he said.

SOURCE :-
HINDU

[yalla_vamsi]

City air cargo complex yet to take wing!

HINDU

Nearly eight months after it went international, the Visakhapatnam Airport is not yet ready for international cargo exports. Red-tape is said to be coming in the way of airport development and unless something is done on a war-footing the development of the region will remain a cry in the wild.

Undue delay

The undue delay in commencement of round-the-clock operations and lack of facilities for export of international cargo is making new international airline operators as also cargo exporters to shy away from the airport.

There is a huge demand for air exports from the city.

The location of two ports – Visakhapatnam Port Trust and Gangavaram Port – in the city and two other ports at Kakinada indicate the tremendous export potential. In the absence of facilities to handle international cargo, the Air India flight to Dubai and the Silk Air flight to Singapore have been deprived of a chance to carry cargo to international destinations.

Modifications to the old terminal building to convert it into a cargo complex is estimated to cost Rs.50 lakh and the work for ground handling is ready.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) Headquarters in Delhi has to place orders for procurement of equipment like scanners required by the airport.

E. Sai Pharma is exporting around 2 tonnes of drugs to Tokyo every week from the city. In the absence of export facilities from here, the company is transporting the material by road to Hyderabad and from there by air.

Customs clearance

“A Drugs Controller has to be posted at the airport for clearance of the drugs meant for export. Customs clearance for exports is not a problem for us as we are located in the SEZ and our material is cleared by Customs officials at the factory itself,” Sunil Lamba, Managing Director of E. Sai Pharma told The Hindu on Thursday.

“Silk Air is losing 2 tonnes of cargo a week due to the absence of dedicated cargo handling facility at the airport.

Urgent need

There is an urgent need to develop dedicated bulk cargo handling facilities,” says Rushikonda IT Parks Association vice president O. Naresh Kumar.

One can only hope that the Vizag-based export cargo doesn’t take wings from other airports.


There is a huge demand for air exports from the city

Modifications to the old terminal is estimated to cost Rs.50 lakh

[Gudavalli]

VUDA to spend `1cr on old municipal stadium

Surroundings to be cleared for developing greenery

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) has decided to spend Rs 1 crore for renovation of Indira Priyadarshini Stadium of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) located in the Old Town.Vice-chairman Kona Sasidhar, along with officials of VUDA and GVMC, inspected the stadium on Friday to assess the works to be taken up. The purpose of VUDA’s contribution is to rejuvenate the stadium to make it a multi-purpose area for the people of the city.

The vice-chairman, who saw the bad stage of pavilion in the stadium, directed the VUDA engineers to prepare estimates for replacing its roof with new material. Repairs, replacements and other civil works, along with electrification and painting to the pavilion block, would also be part of the project.

The vice-chairman said the entire work pertaining to pavilion would be taken up by VUDA with its own funds.VUDA took this decision following a suggestion by the Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development B Sam Bob, who is also the GVMC Special officer as well as VUDA chairman, Mr Sasidhar said.

He asked the GVMC officials to clear the stadium surroundings and develop greenery to make the areas pollution-free.The VUDA vice-chairman further told them to develop a jogging track along the boundary of the ground inside for the benefit of the One Town people.

VUDA chief engineer I Viswanatha Rao, divisional forest officer (DFO) BVA Krishna Murthy, GVMC chief engineer B Jayarama Reddy and sports officer Y Srinivasa Rao accompanied the vice-chairman.

[Gudavalli]

Govt mulling desalination project in Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM: The state government is toying with the idea of setting up a desalination plant in Vizag which will not only cater to the drinking water needs in residential areas but also the water requirements of industries in the city.

The government is planning to take up this project on a trial basis and is currently in the process of estimating the project cost, viability of the technology and required land for the project, minister for industries and infrastructure, ports, airports and natural gas, Ganta Srinivasa Rao told TOI after a high-level meeting held at the Secretariat in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Muncipal administration and urban development (MAUD) minister M Mahidhar Reddy and principal secretary, MAUD, Sam Bob were present at the meeting.

Dubai-based consultant Orange management is understood to have made a power point presentation on desalination of sea water and its possibilities.

The government is mulling the project as the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is unable to cope up with the increasing demand for the drinking water and the needs of the growing industries in the city.

At present, the city's total demand is 80 MGD (million gallons per day), but supply is only around 55 MGD to 57 MGD in the Greater City, with nearly 56 MGD being supplied to domestic consumers. The city has a population of 20 lakh or nearly 4.5 lakh households, of which only 1.5 lakh households have domestic connections and another 70,000 are bulk connections.

The various proposed projects in Visakhapatnam district like PCPIR too require water even as the requirement of existing players like Vizag Steel Plant are going up due to expansions.

The meeting also discussed the water needs of Hyderabad and Tirupati that have been reeling under severe shortage over the past few years.

[engineer.akash]

Excellent move

[Gudavalli]

Originally Posted by engineer.akash

Excellent move

Indeed akash

[Gudavalli]

Slew of new projects planned in region to attract tourists

VISAKHAPATNAM: The tribal areas of picturesque Araku, the freezing winters of Lambasinghi and the Dutch settlements of Bheemili, these and several other unique places dotting the district will soon be drawing more number of tourists if the mega plans drawn up by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) become a reality.

A slew of tourism projects are lined up in various parts of the district which will be launched over the coming months.

This includes the construction of a resort and a handicrafts centre at Yelamanchili, which is expected to commence within a week.

A tourism project, for which the central government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore, will be taken up along the Bheemili-Vizag stretch. A Dutch village will be recreated on a five-acre land that has been identified very close to Bheemili, which was a Dutch settlement more than three centuries ago, APTDC officials told TOI.

Apart from this, a meditation centre at the Buddhist tourism site in Thotlakonda is in the offing while sunbathing facilities are likely to come up at Rushikonda beach, U M Rao, general manager of APTDC, said. Meanwhile, word is doing the rounds that Vizag is going to host the South India Tourism summit for the first time in early January. Officials however are still tight-lipped about the high-profile event.

Sources in the department said a star hotel in the city would play host to the summit that is likely to be held on January 6, 2013.

Apart from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh would participate. "The summit is aimed at inter-linking states to facilitate tourism in the southern circuit and promote it in the region. Ports and infrastructure development minister G Srinivas Rao is be taking keen interest in the meet," a source from the tourism department divulged.

M V Satyanarayana, assistant executive engineer, APTDC, said that besides the resorts, bus package tours will also be arranged to certain picturesque tribal areas by the tourism department.

Also, the handicrafts project is set to commence at Etikoppaka village in Yellamachili mandal at a cost of Rs 40 lakh. "An old building has been identified which would be renovated. It will become a hub of cottage industry, where craftsmen would be making and selling handiworks," he said.

Sources in the tourism department also state that there's proposal for a few more resorts at Araku and Macchegundam and tourism projects in Lambasinghi, where mercury drops to 3 degree Celsius in winters, and certain other Agency areas. A 200-room hotel is also coming up in Araku besides the existing ones in Ananthgiri and Araku.

On the ventures at Lambasinghi, a senior officer from the tourism department said that to begin with they would be setting up a full-fledged eatery. "This area falls under Paderu constituency and is the pet project of the tribal welfare minister Balaraju, who is personally taking keen interest in it," he said.

[Gudavalli]

RINL setting up cement unit

VISAKHAPATNAM, NOV 30:
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd here (Visakhapatnam Steel Plant) is expediting one of its long-pending projects, a cement grinding unit, to make use of the slag generated by blast furnaces and flyash, according to sources.

The company has allocated 100 acres for the project and appointed a senior official and other staff to push it through.

RINL is setting up a 3-million-tonne cement grinding unit, making use of 6 lakh tonnes of flyash, a millon tonnes of slag from the blast furnaces and the rest (1.4 million tonnes) being cement clinker. A joint venture will be formed for setting up the plant, with the RINL having 26 per cent equity in it.

The site selected for the project is near Gangavaram Port, according to sources. A valuer has been appointed to apprise the land cost and the project. At present rates, this may entail an investment of Rs 500 crore or so, including land cost. A consultant will be appointed for the project at a later stage and joint venture partners have not been identified yet.

Earlier, an expression of interest was invited by RINL for the plant, but a fresh tender will have to be floated now. The setting up of a cement plant has become urgent in view of the capacity expansion of RINL from 3 million tonnes to 6.3 million tonnes. RINL has ambitious plans to take up further expansion to 16 million tonnes by 2020.

In this backdrop, disposal of flyash and slag becomes a major problem and like other steel majors, RINL has no choice but to set up the cement unit. Sources said the company may even consider setting up a clinker plant at a later stage. The cost may go up to Rs 1,000 -1,500 crore then, added the sources.

[Gudavalli]

Mega sports stadium likely in Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: A sports stadium similar to that of GMC Balayogi Stadium at Gachibowli in Hyderabad is likely to come up in the port city.

Reviewing the progress of various schemes and projects with officials at the Circuit House here on Friday, ports and infrastructure minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao instructed Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) vice-chairman Kona Sasidhar to identify suitable land to take up the stadium project in order to encourage sports and sports persons in the city.

He also urged him to speed up construction work at the indoor stadium in China Mushidiwada, in addition to works pertaining to satellite townships at Anakapalli, Gajuwaka, Gambheeram and Pendurthy areas.

The minister particularly enquired about the progress of the proposed Greenery Park to be developed over seven acres at Rushikonda beach along the Bay of Bengal. Instructing commissioner of police B Shivdhar Reddy to take steps to check law and order problems in the fast growing city, he hinted at initiating a joint action to curtail the growing trend of inter-state robberies, land and drugs mafia besides traffic problems.

Earlier, the minister directed officials to take all necessary steps for the three-day visit of chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, which is scheduled from December 22. He said that the CM will be covering Paderu and Narsipatnam on December 22, Anakapalli, Gajuwaka and Vizag city on December 23, and Bheemili and Vizag city on December 24. At another event, the minister stated that the crushing of sugarcane at Gowada sugar factory would begin on December 10.

[yalla_vamsi]

Vizag to become a major hub for port-based activity

With two more ports in the pipeline and the Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram Ports going on a massive expansion-spree, the city is set to emerge as a premier hub for port-based activity in next few years.

‘Look East Policy’ and Ministry of Shipping’s Maritime Agenda for 2020 have put development of Visakhapatnam on a fast-track.

“With its strategic location, readymade infrastructure and the city turning into an ideal destination for investors, we are pretty sure that Visakhapatnam will soon find an important place on the world maritime map,” CII Vizag zone chairman and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited Director (Commercial) T.K. Chand told The Hindu .

Spurring the growth in and around the city, the public sector Visakhapatnam Port has become a beehive of activity with expansion and mechanisation going on in full gear. Ranked second in the country after Kandla, the Vizag port handled a throughput of 67.41 million tonnes during last fiscal.

To make it most-preferred port of South East Asia, VPT has finalised a grandiose plan to increase its capacity by 10 million tonnes during 2012-14 and take it to 112 million tonnes by 2013-14. VPT Chairman Ajeya Kallam announced at the East Coast Maritime Business Summit held here recently that they would invest Rs.9,803 crore - Rs.13,939 crore on construction and modernisation of berths and Rs.2,112 crore on deepening of channels/berths -- to make Visakhapatnam Port truly world-class.

To decongest traffic, VPT is in the process of finalising a consultant to develop a satellite port at Mulakuddu near Bheemunipatnam with an investment of Rs.2,000 crore. To start with, it will have four to five berths with a capacity to handle 20 million tonnes.

“We will also put an end to dust pollution once the mechanised coal handling facility at the General Cargo Berth developed by Leighton Welspund and Vedanta in the Outer Harbour at a cost of Rs.675 crore is commissioned,” a senior official of VPT said. Gangavaram Port Ltd, formed by a consortium led by D.V.S. Raju, is investing Rs.995 crore to expand the capacity of the Gangavaram Port, built on Public Private Partnership mode, to increase the capacity from 16.54 million tonne to 40.95 million tonne. The construction activity is going on at brisk pace. GPL got a shot in the arm with Petronet LNG Limited signing an agreement to set up a LNG terminal with an investment of Rs.4,500 crore to have five million capacity in the first phase. The terminal is scheduled to be operational by 2016.

RINL, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, has engaged RITES for conducting a feasibility study and is now trying to get the required clearances from the State government to go ahead with its Rs.1,000 crore investment on a Greenfield captive port on its own land with an initial cargo handling capacity of 18 million tonne. RINL is envisaging an investment of Rs.30,000 crore to raise its steel production to 12 million tonne per annum in next few years. “With such a huge hinterland and introduction of international flights to Singapore and Dubai and proposals for air connectivity with Bangkok, Colombo and Sharjah, the city has a bright future for port-based activity,” said Capt. Sriram Ravi Chander, COO of Visakha Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd.


‘Look East Policy’ and Ministry of Shipping’s Maritime Agenda for 2020 have put the city’s development on a fast-track

The public sector Visakhapatnam Port has become a beehive of activity with expansion and mechanisation going on in full gear








HINDU

[Gudavalli]

Salarpuria is also seeking to develop a mixed use integrated township project in Visakhapatnam on a 55-acre site.

Source

[Gudavalli]

RINL plans cement plant to dispose of waste

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) is planning to set up a cement plant to put to use the huge byproducts that would be generated at its flagship Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), which is in the process of doublingcapacity.

According to the plan, which is still on the drawing-board stage, the state-owned company would set up a cement unit in Andhra Pradesh with an outlay of `500-1,000 crore to produce bulk cement with slag and fly ash as key raw materials. However, this proposal is yet to be approved by the Ministry of Steel.

VSP currently has a capacity to produce 3 million tonne (mt) of steel annually, which is being expanded to about 6.3 mt. The expansion is expected to result in about 8 lakh tonne of slag.

The steel capacity is further planned to be increased to about 16 mt by 2020 that would result in higher slag.VSP also produces thousands of tonnes of fly ash at its captive power unit.

“The quantities of slag and fly ash would actually go out of control once the expanded capacity too comes into production. So we are working on a plan to use the slag and fly ash in cement production,” a senior company official said.

As an alternative plan, the company is also working on forging a long-term agreement with existing cement makers to supply the by products for cement making.

“We are keen on avoiding any negative impact on the environment. The disposal of these byproducts would also involve significant costs,” the official said.

Though the officials did not confirm it, sources said that company was looking to set up the plant near the Gangavaram port on the East coast.

“A final decision is expected shortly,” the official said.

While the company officials see the plant as a viable option since it also has the dealer network for its steel products that can be effectively used for cement distribution as well, the process required for diversification and approvals mandated for doing so are said to be the key pull-back factors.

“Cement unit is indeed a viable option in every sense. However, starting from getting a nod from the ministry to acquiring land, it would be a long drawn process,” an official said.

[Gudavalli]

Telugu museum to open in Vizag soon

The Telugu Cultural and Heritage Museum, atop Kailasagiri in Vizag is expected to be thrown open to the public soon. The project, taken up by Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) and World Telugu Federation (WTF), depicts the historical significance and evolution of Telugu language and heritage. Vuda vice-chairman Kona Sasidhar and chairperson of the federation V L Indira Dutt, regional chairman Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad and art director Thota Tharani reviewed the progress of the project.

With work on interiors being taken up, the museum would have nearly 50 episodes depicting the historical significance of Telugu. While Vuda vice-chairman suggested a unique style of lighting for each episode to highlight their historical importance, Prasad stressed on the need for sufficient parking and leisure. Vuda chief engineer I Viswanadha Rao, DFO BVA Krishna Murthy, executive engineers G Kalpana, M Balarama Raju, electrical engineer B Somasekhar and technical experts attended the meeting.

[prasai]

can anyone tell me which place is AP33 registration in VIZAG?

[Gudavalli]

Andhra Pradesh CM to inaugurate road works

VISAKHAPATNAM: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will lay the foundation stone for Vuda Master Plan road projects, which have been taken up at a cost of Rs 39 crore, at Paradesipalem in the afternoon on Monday. He will also inaugurate a 100-feet road during his visit to the city.

The projects being taken up under the master plan include 100-feet wide road with a stretch of 2.9 km connecting Kommadi to NH-5 and 80-feet wide road of 2.8 km connecting NH-5 at Endada and Bheemili beach via Gitam University. Also included is a 60-feet wide road connecting Ganesh Nagar via Sivashakthi Nagar of Madhurawada.

Later, he will inaugurate a 100-feet wide road connecting NH-5 at Marikavalasa junction and Madhurawada - Kapuluppada road near Haritha project. After the inauguration, he will proceed to Chepaluppada. Vuda vice-chairman Kona Sasidhar reviewed the arrangements ahead of the chief minister's visit.

[Gudavalli]

AP CM lays foundation stone of drinking water supply scheme

Visakhapatnam, Dec 17 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy laid the foundation stone of a Rs 83-crore drinking water supply scheme at Malkapuram as part of the Indiramma Baata scheme. He said that the drinking water supply scheme would be completed in one and half years to provide 24-hours water supply to four wards in the district. He sanctioned the upgradation of a 30-bed hospital and a separate maternity ward at a cost of Rs 25 lakhs. He said that the state government plans to sanction a sports complex in the area if land is available. Stating that the government had increased the sports budget to Rs 220 crore, the chief minister said that the government has decided to construct sports stadiums in every assembly constituency in the state. Later, he distributed bank loans worth Rs 7 crores to members of self help groups (SHGs). While interacting with members of SHGs at the Andhra University Assembly Hall, he claimed that women benefitted after they received bank loans under the Indira Kranth Patham scheme. He said the pay back of loans by women to the banks was very encouraging. He said that Andhra Pradesh government is the only state in the country providing interest-free bank loans to SHGs without any interest. He said that the state government has decided to provide loans worth Rs 13,000 crore to SHGs this year without any interest. He said that the state government has been paying Rs 1400 crore as interest to banks for loans given to SHGs.

[Gudavalli]

‘Rs 1,322 cr for laying roads in district’

The project is being taken up with funds from PM Gramin Sadak Yojana

The Government proposes to spend Rs.1,322 crore for laying roads in the district, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said.

Addressing a gathering of tribal people in Marripalem village in Koyyuru mandal here on Tuesday, he said that the project is being taken up with funds from the PM Gramin Sadak Yojana under the Integrated Action Plan for Development in areas under Maoist influence.

Further, 10 lakh acres would be developed in the State to benefit 6 lakh SC, ST families, he announced. For every 10 acres a borewell would be sunk and drip or sprinkler irrigation facility provided to ensure that the land is developed. “So far we have only heard about development of land, our government will ensure that the land is developed for cultivation,” Kiran Kumar Reddy said.

During his interaction the tribal people of an interior hamlet expressed their gratitude for the Indira Jalaprabha programme which has enabled them to achieve economic independence. An old man, Injeti Rajulu, of an interior village in Koyyuru mandal thanked Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy for being able to grow mangoes on his land and earn a living. “We do not know who you are but thanks to you I am able to bring up my four children,” a widow Rajamma told the Chief Minister who had a lively interaction with the tribal beneficiaries of Indira Jalaprabha programme on Tuesday.

Injeti Krishnaveni told the Chief Minister that she had got 150 days of employment under NREGS. When the Chief Minister asked her how she got the extra 50 days, she promptly said: “From your government”.

The tribal people who waited in the cold weather for over three hours gave a warm welcome to the Chief Minister and thanked him. Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stones for a number of projects, including Girls Hostel to Model School at Vemulapudi and for strengthening if NRPM-Tallapalem R&B Road.

He also inaugurated the AP Social Welfare Residential School Building Complex for girls at Narsipatnam and spent the night at Kotauratla Integrated BC Boys Hostel.

[Gudavalli]

Vuda plans multi-level parking

VISAKHAPATNAM: To ease traffic congestion, Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) is planning to construct a mechanised multi-level parking lot in the city. The urban planning and engineering wings of Vuda have been chalking out technical aspects of the proposal and are expected to finalise the project very soon. The proposal was given the green signal at a board meeting held here recently.

The five-storeyed multi-level parking, spread across 3,000 square yards, will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 11 crore at Ram Nagar. The parking lot, which will be able to accommodate 190 cars, have the top three floors and basement set aside for parking while the remaining two floors will be rented out for commercial establishments.

The vehicles would reach the top floors through the two huge lifts located on both sides. In order to get sufficient revenue for maintenance of the structure, Vuda plans to give out space for advertisements in the building, sources said.

The number of vehicles in the port city, which were around two lakh in the year 2000, have gone up by over two and half times. The number of two wheelers added onto the road is about 40,000 every year. Currently, there are 4.5 lakh two wheelers in the city and the number of four wheelers are increasing by 6,000 each year and at present, there are 60,000 four wheelers.

Traffic DCP Suresh Babu said they have been trying hard to accommodate parking zones for the commuters, but lack of parking space has become a major hurdle. 'The increasing number of autos has been eating into the road space. Presently, around 40,000 autos are plying on the roads of Visakhapatnam. Even autos of the neighbouring districts are also plying on the city roads," he said.

Earlier, Vuda had tried to develop the parking project at Ram Nagar under the PPP mode but no company pitched in for the project.