Vijayawada: Entrepreneurs in search of space at Jakkampudi

Vijayawada: The State Infra sector is facing a tricky situation. Despite the demand for more than 28 lakh sq feet for the proposed economic city at Jakkampudi, the state could be able to assure only 6.40 lakh sq.feet space to the entrepreneurs, who have been waiting for this ‘project on papers’ to translate into a reality, for the last four years. 

The CM Mr Chandrababu Naidu has a dream of 9 more such economic cities across the State, to start functioning within three years, since 2014. 

But it came to focus only after Jakkampudi was transferred to the energy, I&I department, but the problem here is that it needs more than 20 lakh sq. feet space now.

“The scene during late 70s is repeating now. Industry and infra are being given importance,” said a former bureaucrat. 

“Our four-year-old state needs more entrepreneurs, not subsides and free schemes. We have to remember a fact that the state is going to experience a burden of '20,000 crore on its exchequer and lack of integration between several government agencies involved in housing programme will have an adverse impact. 

“If Jakkampudi economic city turns into a reality, the government will have breathing space to face the 2019 battle. The economic city will be the creator of employment, especially for the targeted sections like-unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled youth, who comprise 43 per cent of the unemployed youth in the state, as per statistics.”

On the sad state of affairs in administration, the former bureaucrat analysed that if thegovernment acts as a perfect facilitator, Jakkampudi Economic City (JEC) would become the greatest driver of the employment, which is the need of the hour. 

“Look at the demand for the space from the entrepreneurs, in all the 13 districts”, he pointed out and added that our per capita income (PCI) can match with states like Karnataka, only when such economic cities are built in AP.

A senior officer, in the rural housing sector, said economic growth can’t be brought about by the government alone.

“AP’s core demand should be entrepreneurs, not subsidies or discounts,” he explained.

If AP wants to be one among the top three states by 2029, building economic cities across the state, is essential.

UIPB to speed up economic city works
Post-1975 scenario, in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh had created a space to GMR, GVK and Varaprasada Reddy to emerge as entrepreneurs. 

Over a period of time, they have created business empires and tried to address employment problem to some extent. 

There is such atmosphere in AP now but entrepreneurs are not able to translate their dreams into reality,  following bureaucratic constraints and lethargy in executing the political decisions, taken by the CM.

The Urban Infrastructure Planning Board (UPIB), under the chairmenship of CM Naidu, will meet on February 2, before the cabinet meeting, to discuss the Cold Calling concept, already initiated by Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In fact, the state government has proposed 10 economic cities across the state. They are - Footwear City, Jakkampudi, Apparel City, Hindupur, Film, Media and AVGC City, Visakhapatnam, Convention City, Visakhapatnam, Sports City, Vizianagaram (Mega City), Light Electronics City, Tirupati, Food Processing Cities — East Godavari, and Kuppam, Leather Products City, Nellore, and Defence City, Orvakal. Of  these 10, the focus is now on Jakkampudi after the subject was transferred to Infra &Investments and Energy department. 

The UIPB meeting scheduled on February 2, would discuss a timetable for the said projects to take off. Since the Chief Minister wants the development to be fast creating jobs, the officers are working on a war footing.

The UIPB was constituted by the state government to approve or reject the mega projects in the state. 

It is continuation of administrative reforms initiated by the Chief Minister. After introducing the single file system (SFS) in the Secretariat, the CM has taken this as second step, to restructure the existing industrial policy.

After careful examination of the functioning of the APIIC, Industries department and in some cases-the functioning of GAD and Protocol departments, the Chief Minister has taken a decision to set up UIPB, according to CMO sources.