Dr.JP Calls for Dispersal of Projects Under IT Investment Region

While welcoming the sanction of an Information Technology Investment Region to Hyderabad, the Lok Satta Party today cautioned against repeating the past mistake of concentrating all investments in Hyderabad city.

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan suggested that the projects proposed under the Investment Region be spread over three or four major centers of the three regions of the State keeping in mind regional imbalances, economic inequalities and political unrest.

The sanction of the Rs.2.19-lakh crore Investment Region by the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on September 20 will give a boost to Andhra Pradesh’s economy which in the recent past had suffered because of political uncertainty, said Dr. JP.

Dr. JP recalled that although the Union Government had in the past sanctioned two National Investment and Manufacturing Zones and a Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemicals Investment Region for Andhra Pradesh little progress has been made in their implementation. Grand announcements with a lot of fanfare have ended up in dashing the hopes of the young, unemployed in the State.

Pointing out that as many as 12 lakh students are graduating from colleges and universities in the State every year, Dr. JP said a massive effort has to be mounted to promote manufacturing and create jobs. It calls for formulation of comprehensive strategy and its immediate implementation.

Ultimately, employment creation and investments are a function of political stability and far-sighted leadership. Perpetual political unrest and law and order problems, mounting corruption in every facet of national life and decaying infrastructure especially in the power sector deter investments and job creation. All these problems have to be addressed on a war footing, Dr. JP added.