THE “CITY OF DESTINY”, Visakhapatnam, one of the fastest growing metros of Asia, is tipped to be the next capital of Andhra Pradesh if a separate state of Telangana is formed.
It is located in a valley of the Eastern Ghats and faces the vast expanse of the Bay of Bengal.
The choice seems ideal.
However, this thought never crossed the minds of the stalwarts who were members of the Andhra Mahasabha.
Sir Bayya Narasimha Sharma, member of the Viceroy’s Council and member of the Imperial Legislature Council, always wanted a university in Visakhapatnam. But as capital, he preferred Kurnool, though he hailed from Vizag. Kurnool did indeed become the capital of Andhra Pradesh when the state was established in October 1953. The state capital was moved to Hyderabad only after the Telangana districts merged with Andhra Pradesh in 1956.
“He never thought of making Vizag the capital of Andhra since it was at one end of the state,” said B.N. Sharma, Sir Bayya’s grandson. “But I would be thrilled if the city is made the state capital now. It is one of the most peaceful cities in Asia.”
The sentiment is echoed by other senior citizens. “I have never seen any violence here in the last 50 years,” said one of them, now in his eighties. “Even bandhs here have been peaceful.”
The city has also made rapid strides in the last 40 years with good air, road and rail connectivity, and with the setting up of a host of industries and academic centres of international repute.
In July, the city drew the attention of the world after India’s first nuclear powered submarine INS Arihant was launched here.
Just a day before this event, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) opened its laboratory, a prelude to opening its major facility at Atchyutapuram on a 2,800 acre site.
Apart from this, the Innovative University proposed in the union budget two years ago is also coming up on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam. There are noteworthy major developments on the industrial front too.
An extent of 5,449 acres in Achyutapuram has been allocated for development of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The government is expecting an investment of Rs 27,804 crore at this facility.
The Petrochemical and Petroleum Industrial Corridor covering coastal Andhra from Srikakulam district to Kakinada has also taken off.
The Pharma City being developed by the Ramky group, Apparel Park by Brandix of Sri Lanka and IT SEZs coming up on the hillocks of the Beach Road are also expected to accelerate the development process in the city.
The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is in an expansion mode with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore. With the Eastern Naval Command guarding the seafront, the city would should be secure.