Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has so far completed land acquisition of 7,000 acres in Visakhapatnam, for the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC), st-ate industries secretary Solomon Arokia Raj said. “The master plan for the VCIC is ready and the government is sure to complete the work by 2019, even though the project was due to be completed by 2022,” he told this newspaper.
The VCIC is the main part of the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) which is aligned with the Golden Quadrilateral, the highway network connecting the major industrial centres of the country. The corridor traverses nine districts of the sta-te, and it has four industrial nodes at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Amaravati and Yerpedu-Srikalahasti.
Visakhapatnam is the key node, having industrial units in several sectors such as food processing, textiles, plastics, chemicals, pharma and petrochemicals. Industrial nodes are an integral component of economic corridor development. When equipped with comprehensive infrastructure support and a business-friendly environment, these nodes can serve as hubs geared to cradle industries.
APIIC Visakhapatnam zonal manager V. Nageswara Rao said Visakhapatnam again has two industrial nodes — Nakkapalli and Achyutapuram. Around 4,500 acres of land was acquired in Nakkapalli, while 2,500 acr-es of land was ready for possession from two villages of Rambilli mandal in Achyutapuram.
The APIIC intends to acquire 6,000 acres in Nakkapalli. It identified 4,500 acres in the first phase and the rest of the land will be taken during the second phase. “Currently, the APIIC officials are issuing payments to the land owners and soon will take possession of the land,” he added.
The state government initially planned to acquire about 10,000 acres for the development of industrial clusters. It also proposed a petrochemical complex in between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. The APIIC is the nodal agency for land acquisition for industrial purposes. The VCIC is expected to attract investments worth Rs 1 lakh crores.
