The Abandoned IT Projects of Visakhapatnam

The AP government has announced numerous projects in lieu with propping up Visakhapatnam as an IT destination. However, the reality has been far from it, leaving many abandoned projects in its wake.

The IT tower that was to come up at Duvvada at the Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone has been abandoned. The structure was supposed to come up at a cost of Rs 40 crore was to come up in 2.5 acres of land. With a plinth area of 1.09 lakh sqft and providing plug and play facilities for IT firms, the project was touted to bring about some much needed change.

An unnamed BJP member reportedly stated that the project has been shelved. The foundation stone for the project was laid by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and funds were sanctioned from a scheme. While the foundation stone was laid in August 2014, the funds from the centre were released in 2015. But the validity of the sanction has lapsed and the centre shows no interest in reviving it. Looks like the state government missed their chance! Two floors of the tower were to be developed as a data recovery facility for companies and the structure was to be cyclone and hacker resistant.

Three towers were proposed to come up in Visakhapatnam initially – with the first one to come up in Siripuram, second in Duvvada and third at Rushikonda. The tower at Siripuram – proposed by the Software Technology Parks of India and VUDA – reportedly progresses at a snail’s pace and the Signature Tower project of twin towers at Rushikonda has been shelved due to poor response from private developers. Now, the Duvvada tower has been shelved too.

The tower at Siripuram will reportedly be Boeing shaped and will spread across 1.2 acres of land. Costing Rs 62.7 crores, the Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad laid the foundation stone for it last year.

Story Credit: The Hindu