AP govt to set up electronic equipment production zone at Mannavaram

Andhra Pradesh state government has offered the Union government to install a semiconductor and electronic equipment production zone at Mannavaram bordering Chittoor-Nellore districts where the NTPC Limited-Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (NTPC-BHEL) failed to boost industrial activities despite being allocated land over a decade ago.

The 6,000 crore Mannavaram project approved by the UPA government in 2007 was to be grounded in 2009, but the project was put on the back burner following the demise of the then chief minister Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy. The project, which planned to produce boilers, turbines and generators envisaged rendering direct employment opportunities to at least 6,000 people and indirect employment prospects to 25,000 odd people.

Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy, who conducted a series of meetings with the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC) and the district industries department presented proposals to the union government to accord permissions to install lithium-ion batteries and semiconductor production units at Mannavaram where 753.85 acres of land was allotted at a nominal cost of Rs 100 per acre almost a decade ago, but no industrial activity could be carried out by the NTPC-BHEL as planned.

Last year, the state government asked to take back the lands allocated to the central PSUs as they were on the verge of shutting down the Mannavaram project. Following a series of policy decisions taken by the centre to promote semiconductor production in a big way in the nation, the state government planned for the union government to set up the electronic equipment production zone under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

As per Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy, the proposals have been in principle nodded by the union power ministry and are awaiting the proposal of the commerce and industries ministry. Once the offers are sanctioned, heavy electronics production industries can also be set up at Mannavaram, which can be showcased as a hub of great industrial activity, and thousands of jobs can be generated for the unemployed youth of this area.

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