Bhogapuram Airport to Be Growth Engine for North Andhra: Ramprasad Reddy

Transport minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said the development initiatives undertaken over the past two years are transforming North Andhra and Visakhapatnam in line with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of making the city the country’s leading urban centre.

Addressing reporters here on Monday, the minister described the upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport as the ‘crowning jewel’ of North Andhra’s development. He said elaborate arrangements were being made for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, with all government departments coordinating for the event. Around 2,000 buses have been arranged to transport people to the Prime Minister’s public meeting, where a traditional Dhimsa dance will be performed to welcome him.

Ramprasad Reddy said the recent CII Summit had helped showcase Visakhapatnam as an investment destination. He said the alliance government had succeeded in bringing a Google data centre to the city, which he said reflected the government’s focus on development. “Chief Minister Chandrababu’s visionary leadership is steering the state toward development,” he said.

The minister said APSRTC had introduced electric bus services to Bhogapuram Airport at regular APSRTC fares. He said the government was strengthening the public transport corporation by procuring 1,400 new buses. In addition, 1,050 electric buses would be introduced across the state in phases to provide modern and environmentally friendly public transport.

Referring to Cyclone Hudhud, Ramprasad Reddy said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had stood by the people of Visakhapatnam during the disaster. Rejecting concerns over the airport’s distance from the city, he compared it with Hyderabad’s Shamshabad airport, saying Bhogapuram would similarly emerge as a major growth centre.

The minister said Visakhapatnam was the heart of North Andhra and that its development would drive the overall progress of the region.