Krishna district in for industrial growth

Vijayawada: The government has decided to set up an engineering cluster to manufacture components for use in production of defence machines at Veerapanenivarigudem in Krishna district. Addressing a press meet after the cabinet meeting here on Friday, information and public relations minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said that 72 companies have evinced interest in the cluster with investments running up to Rs 200 crore.
The cluster is expected to create 2,000 jobs. The cabinet has also decided to promote micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in all the assembly constituencies across Andhra Pradesh as part of the endeavour to create jobs to the unemployed youths. Accordingly, industrial estates each in an area of 100 acres will come up in all the assembly segments.
The minister said the government has already identified 18,340 acres in 117 Assembly segments and the rest of the task would be accomplished within a specified timeline. The move is expected to create around 1.75 lakh jobs all over the state.
The cabinet has proposed to establish AP Incubation Society as an apex body to mentor budding entrepreneurs. The society will be encouraged to have its branches at the district-level. These are to be headed by IT officer with focus on innovation.
The minister informed that private universities such as Amity, SRM, VIT, Centurion, Fisheries and Oceanography conveyed letters of interest to establish their branches in the state.
Accordingly, fisheries and oceanography university will come up at Bhimavaram in West Godavari district while Centurion University in Vizianagaram district and the remaining three universities in Amaravati region.
Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu asked his cabinet colleagues to speed up the proposals to establish several universities with specialised academics in subjects such as water, energy, logistics, hospitality, sports and fisheries which are to be established through the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The IIIT proposed at Ongole will run its classes at Nuzvid in Krishna district and the one to come up at Srikakulam at RK Valley in Visakhapatnam from the current academic year until they have their own infrastructure facilities such as buildings. It was decided to allot 745 acres for establishment of a knowledge hub at Vangavalli village under Sabbavaram mandal of Visakhapatnam district.
Similarly, the government liberally allotted vast chunks of lands as an extension of special economic zones (SEZs) under second phase in Visakhapatnam district. When reminded of TDP's no-holds barred protests against SEZs while the party was in the opposition, Reddy averred: "There is a lot of difference in promotion of SEZs by the previous government and now. SEZs during the Congress regime turned to be breeding grounds for high-level corruption."
The cabinet also cleared a proposal to establish a project relating to test bed facility for radar and weapon system under the aegis of Bharat Heavy Electronics Limited at Palasamudram in Anantpur district. The government will allot 47.27 acres for the project at the rate of Rs 3 lakh per acre.