The draft master plan for the Petroleum, Chemical and Petro-chemical Investment Region (PCPIR) between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada will be ready by the end of July, according to Mr K. Sasidhar, Vice-Chairman of the PCPPIR and Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA).

A public hearing will be conducted 30 days after the publication of the draft.

The hearing may be conducted at two places in the districts of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, he said LEA Associates had been awarded the work of preparing the master plan and it had conducted a survey in 71 villages so far.

A total of 110 villages would have to be covered in 10 mandals of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts.

Mr Sasidhar said wider consultations would have to be carried out with all groups concerned including fishermen and farmers.

He said the environment impact assessment (EIA) study, entrusted to EPTRI, was also going on simultaneously.

He said there was no need for any apprehension that large extent of land would be acquired or villages would be vacated.

Of the 603 sq km area of the PCPIR, only 40 per cent was processing area and the remaining 60 per cent was meant for supporting infrastructure.

Since in 35-36 per cent area, industries had already been established, scope for new industries was limited. Already land had been acquired by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) and additional land might be required for roads or establishing rail linkages, he added.

LEA Associates has been carrying out preparation of the master plan at a cost of Rs 10 crore, borne by the APIIC, the nodal agency for PCPIR. The infrastructure for the PCPIR is estimated to cost Rs 19,000 crore.

It has been estimated that it has potential for industries worth Rs 3.43 lakh crore, generating 11.9 lakh jobs.

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