VISAKHAPATNAM: The constructions being taken up on the Rushikonda Hill are for the sole purpose of resorts to boost the tourism sector in Visakhapatnam, asserted YSRC regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy. Amid criticism that Rushikonda is being destroyed to construct the camp office for the CM, Subba Reddy said, “Over time, the resorts on the hill have required renovation, and we have witnessed how the public used them with intent. To rejuvenate the tourism sector, we have taken up the construction of the resorts.”
During an interaction with media persons on Wednesday, Subba Reddy asked why the Opposition parties are not questioning the issue of illegally occupied land by GITAM authorities. “This land, owned by the government and situated right in front of Rushikonda, has not been discussed by the Opposition,” he pointed out.
Subba Reddy, in response to a question regarding the future office space arrangements following the proposed shift of the Chief Minister’s base to Visakhapatnam, indicated that the government is looking to maximise the utilisation of available resources, specifically the unoccupied government spaces in addition to the vacant infrastructure that was initially developed for IT companies.
When asked about the government’s stand on the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Subba Reddy reassured that the government stands by the public and opposes the Centre’s decision.“We have been consistently opposing the privatisation move and, if necessary, utilise parliamentary platforms to voice our concerns and prevent its implementation.”
Addressing the Simhachalam ‘Panchagrama’ land issue, he stated that a special committee has been set up to look into the issue and that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has handed over the responsibility to the Advocate General for early perusal.
On the development front, he said, “The GSDP of Andhra Pradesh, which ranked 22nd in terms of growth, saw an increase from Rs 6.3 lakh crore in 2018-19 to Rs 7.5 lakh crore in 2021-22, positioning the State at the top, besides 35% rise in per capita income over three years. The establishment of 1.52 lakh new MSMEs has resulted in 13.63 lakh job opportunities, and the State led in Ease of Doing Business for three consecutive years. Major companies like Reliance, Adani, TCS, ITC and JSW have made big investments in the State since 2019.’’
The improved education with more children attending schools, through initiatives like Mana Badi Nadu-Nedu, 37,000 government schools have been modernised at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore, he highlighted.