The Hindu Business Line : Vizag knowledge city project flayed

A herd of sheep grazing on the foothills of the hillock which is part of 1,750 acres earmarked for the knowledge city project at Kapulauppada near Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. The contract for the project has been awarded to Unitech Ltd of Gurgaon.

Our Bureau

Visakhapatnam, Sept. 26 The proposed knowledge city project at Kapulauppada near here has drawn widespread criticism from the Opposition parties such as Telugu Desam and the Left parties and also several NGOs, as it is not clear what sort of projects will come up.

The knowledge city project, awarded to Gurgaon-based Unitech Ltd, envisages creation of world class facilities with eco-friendly buildings, star hotels, facilities for leisure tourism with golf courses, shopping complexes and townships on an extent of 1,750 acres of land, with the market value being fixed at Rs 20 lakh per acre.

Earlier this month, the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) finalised the bids for the project and selected Unitech for the project.

The company will have to pay Rs 350 crore for the land and a minimum of two per cent of gross revenue for the next 10 years to the State Government. Unitech, the highest bidder, had quoted Rs 3,288 crore of revenue for the next decade, according to sources.

The Opposition parties are critical of the Government’s decision to part with a huge chunk of land on a hillock for what they call a paltry Rs 20 lakh per acre. “The auctions conducted by the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) for lands in the area fetched nearly Rs 3 crore per acre.

“Such prime land is being given away on a platter to a private company. It is not clear whether knowledge-based companies will come up there or whether it will be converted into a huge entertainment zone to promote tourism. The private company will indulge in real estate business,” says Mr G. Srinivasa Rao, Chodavaram MLA and Telugu Desam leader.

According to Mr Ch. Narasinga Rao, the district secretary of the CPI(M), “it is inexcusable on the part of the State Government to allot such a huge chunk of land to a private company, when it is not clear what sort of projects will come up there. Besides, the Government is not heeding to the pleas of the poor for house sites and giving away prime lands to private companies.”

There are ecological concerns that the hillock would be dug up, leaving an adverse impact on the environment. The fishermen living in the vicinity would be affected.

“The Government should have a clear policy on land allotment. When there is ambiguity on land use, it is not advisable to give away land to private companies,” says Mr E.A.S. Sarma of the Forum for Better Visakha.

“Besides, the companies should be punished if they do not make proper use of the land allotted and it should be taken back,” he added.

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