‘industrialists should develop Seemandhra’

Visakhapatnam: In an interaction organized by the CII here on Saturday on the State bifurcation, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu strongly felt that the onerous task before industrialists was what should be done to develop Seemandhra.

Quoting L K Advani’s remark that the bifurcation was a ‘perversion of democracy’, Naidu said he had backed the division as party policy, but not at the cost of Seemandhra. Citing examples of other States, where a uniform development had taken place, he said trouble arose in Andhra Pradesh only with the ‘imbalanced’ development of regions. ‘If the Centre would have bifurcated the State even during the Jai Andhra movement, this type of problem would not have arisen. If Hyderabad is made part of Seemandhra, can the people and public representatives visit the State capital, which is impossible’, he pointed out.

Condemning allegations that the party was responsible for the State’s division, he said its leaders had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking a huge consolidated fund to fill the revenue deficit of Seemandhra. They also appraised him that Seemandhra could not even to pay wages to its employees.

Responding to CII members’ pleas for industrial subsidies and quality power, he assured help. A petro-chemical complex, a petroleum university, upgradation of Vizag, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports, Vizag-Chennai growth corridor, Central universities, an IIM and IITs were needed for Seemandhra, for which the party would strive.

He felt that the new government should provide subsidies to industrialists after identifying Seemandhra as a special category region. ‘If free power is demanded for new industries, it would supply low power immediately and no power later’, he remarked.

The MP appealed to industrialists and public to elect those with ability, credibility, responsibility and winning chances. Among others, CII past chairman Harischandra Prasad, head of Andhra Pradesh CII S Kannan and Vizag zone chairman G Sambasiva Rao were present.

In the evening, Venkaiah Naidu, accompanied by former Union minister U V Krishnam Raju, party leader Dr K Haribabu and other seniors took out a rally from the Government Circuit House to MVP Colony, where a public meeting was held. Addressing it, Naidu detailed how the party supported the division Bill and what was to be done for developing Seemandhra. He garlanded the statues of Sardar Gautu Latchanna, Tenneti Viswanatham and Jyothirao Phule.