UNITS IN IT SEZ HAVE NO BASIC AMENITIES YET
Santosh Patnaik,
The Hindu
Even after two years of its establishment, the units at Rushikonda IT Special Economic Zone are devoid of basic amenities like regular power, public transport and drinking water supply.
Though the APIIC got a shot in the arm when the protesting units agreed to adhere to the SEZ norms by surrendering their outright land purchase agreements and converting them into lease, the units, which include Symbiosys and Kennexa, now in operation, are trying to convince all those who matter to get basic facilities. Compared to other IT SEZs in the country, the much-hyped facility at the picturesque Rushikonda developed on two hillocks are not even having minimum required facilities.
“It’s an irony that the government, at the time of issuing the gazette notification had pledged to make it a world-class IT hub,” regrets a first generation investor.
The Visakhapatnam IT Association, which is running from pillar to post to make the SEZ a leading hub for IT and IT- enabled services, wants constitution of a ‘city infrastructure promotion committee’, comprising the Collector, DC, VSEZ, STPI, APIIC, APSRTC, EPDCL, GVMC, VITA and the VUDA, for coordinating activities and moving towards the common objective of showcasing Vizag as a gateway to South East Asia. It also wants allocation of marketing budgets for the same. IT entrepreneurs feel that the