VISAKHAPATNAM: BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao has written an open letter to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, urging him to take concrete steps to boost industrial development in the State in the New Year. Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, Rao said the government should hand-hold the entrepreneurs who are willing to set up industries in the State.
The BJP MP alleged that the YSRC government laid more emphasis on vote bank politics, ignoring the industrial development of the State. The Jagan Mohan Reddy government should make development of IT industry in the State its New Year resolution, he said.
The IT sector should be given top priority for rapid economic development in the State. Of the total 51 lakh people working in the IT industry, the highest number of employees are from Andhra Pradesh. According to a modest estimate, 5 to 7 lakh people belong to AP. However, the share of AP in the nation’s IT turnover is only 0.1%. AP IT firms are more attached to Hyderabad even after bifurcation and seem to be totally uninterested in developing the State, he observed.
A new policy should be chalked out for establishment of satellite centres of IT companies in the State. They should be given incentives for creating new jobs or relocating existing jobs from Hyderabad and Bengaluru to Visakhapatnam. Besides, the companies should be provided plug-and-play office spaces, infrastructure and other logistic support in Vizag, which are prerequisites for IT development, he stressed.
Rao also sought release of incentives of Rs 90 crore pending for the past four years to the IT firms in the State. A startup ecosystem should be created to make Vizag a Startup City. Training centres should be set up to impart skills in new emerging technologies to educated youth, the BJP MP said.