Funds allocated for electronics cluster

Kadapa:  The state government is focussing the electronics manufacturing cluster being set up at Kopparthi Industrial Estate in the district. An amount of Rs 200 crore has been earmarked in the budget tabled in the Assembly on Thursday for the creation of facilities at cluster.

Taiwan-based Foxconn mobiles manufacturing company has already expressed its readiness to set up a manufacturing unit for Redmi and Apple phones at the cluster. The state government has already held talks with it in this regard. Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has developed 6,553 acres at Kopparthi Industrial Estate for setting up industries. Following this, industrialists are coming forward to set up their units as all the necessary facilities are in place. At present, there are about 10 small and medium scale industries. APIIC is also in the process of setting up an Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in 500 acres there.

An amount of Rs 250 crore has been earmarked in the budget for the creation of infrastructure facilities for a steel plant to be set up in Kadapa district in public-private partnership mode under the auspices of the YSR Steel Corporation. With an investment of Rs 11,000 crore, the government expects the steel plant, which has an annual production target of three million tonnes of high-grade steel, to employ 25,000 people directly and thousands indirectly. Essar Steels was recently selected as a partner for the steel plant. Also, an amount of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for Pulivendula Area Development Authority (PADA). Besides, Rs 502.26 crore has been allocated for taking up irrigation projects in the district.

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam politburo member Reddeppagari Srinivasa Reddy (Vasu) criticised the government for failing to keep the promises made in the last budget and for introducing another budget with juggling of figures to deceive the people again. He said that no development activities had taken place anywhere in the last two years and that irrigation, roads and construction sectors were completely neglected. He also flayed the Chief Minister, who should be a role model people, for attending the assembly without a mask. “Do the Corona rules apply only to the people not to Jagan and his party leaders?” he asked.