Andhra Pradesh: Logistics hub doubtful in Tadepalli region

Vijayawada: The setting up of a logistics hub in CRDA seems unlikely, and the 150 acres of land between Tadepalli, Buckingham canal and the National Highway that had been identified for this purpose lies idle, awaiting the CRDA’s final decision.

Farmers and land owners have been running from pillar to post, to try and get some clarity as to whether the CRDA is interested in acquiring the land, or not.
The land in this area costs about Rs 1.5 crore per acre, and so the CRDA has stepped back, deciding not to invest Rs 350 crore at a stretch. 

Neither does the CRDA have a route map in place for setting up of this logistics hub, nor has it allowed private developers to undertake the work in a PPP and sign an MoU with farmers and land owners.

The CRDA wants to develop a hub for the new capital at Tadepalli. A proposal for the same was debated and declared two years ago. But under present conditions, where road, rail and waterway connectivity are available, and airway connectivity will be available in the future with the development of the proposed airport at Mangalagiri, the Nulakapeta, Bapujinagar and Undavalli areas of Tadepalli mandal have become viable options. However, the CRDA has yet to shed light on the proposal for the Inter-national airport proposal at Mangalagiri.

Undavalli village is the main centre and the gateway to Amaravati. The old Madras National Highway from Vijaya-wada to Chennai passes through Undavalli, which also houses the Krishna Canal Junction Railway Station, and a roadway and waterway in the Buckingham Canal.

Although the CRDA has chosen Nulakapeta and Bapujinagar of Tadepalli Mandal to develop into the logistics hub, it has not initiated communication with the farmers and land owners of the two villages. Residents of Nulakapeta, Nidamarru, Nekkallu, Vaddamanu and surrounding areas have been waiting for development of the hub to begin. Private developers have had a few interactions with CRDA regarding the setting up of the hub at Nulakapeta.

AP seeks detailed draft over security, viability
The state government has sought a working draft from the ministries of Home Affairs and Finance over the proposed logistic hub near Nulakapeta of Tadepalli mandal. In October, Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Seetharaman had hinted setting up of logistic hubs near seaports.

However, the state government is looking at a different angle of setting up a logistic hub near canals and railway stations, that too in Amaravati. The Union Minister had stated that this move was initiated towards boosting double digit growth in exports.

In fact, it was decided by the CRDA two years ago that the new capital region of Andhra Pradesh would be divided into eight urban plan areas and each area would be a growth centre for development.

While Nandigama corridor would be centre for pharma, biotech, plastics packaging units, Gudivada corridor would cater to green industries and agro-based industries. Gannavaram corridor will host IT, ITES, electronics, hardware, automotive and aerospace companies.

In Guntur corridor, food processing, cold chains, textiles and non-metallic products units would come up, and Tenali corridor would cater to tourism, entertainment and logistics.

Sattenapali corridor would have tourism and knowledge centres and Nuzvid corridor would be an agro industrial and fabrication hub, according to the initial proposals of the CRDA.

A dedicated freight corridor (DFC) along the coastal route of Vizag, Gudivada, Tenali, Guntur and Chennai and another DFC between Delhi and Vijayawada via Nuzvid, were proposed earlier.

Similarly, the CRDA is still silent on reserving 5,000 acres to build a new airport at Mangalagiri . Under these circumstances, the state government sought a detailed draft over setting up logistic hub near Nulakapeta of Tadepalli mandal, as the Home Ministry needs to examine the security and safety angles.