Tag: kakinada

Andhra Pradesh to Return 2,000 Acres Marked For Kakinada SEZ to Farmers

The farmers who owned the land refused to part with their property or receive compensation and carried out an agitation for many years.

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday issued an order for returning 2,180 acres of land, which was originally sought to be acquired for the Kakinada Special Economic Zone (SEZ) back in 2007, to the farmers following a protracted struggle.

The farmers who owned the land refused to part with their property or receive compensation and carried out an agitation for many years.

Based on the recommendations made by a six-member committee headed by agriculture minister K. Kanna Babu, the government ordered that the 2,180 acres of land be returned to the farmers so that the Kakinada SEZ could go ahead and industries be established.

The Union ministry of commerce and industry notified the Kakinada SEZ in the year 2007 for establishing a port-based multiproduct SEZ spread over several villages under U Kothapalli and Thondangi mandals in East Godavari district. The Kakinada SEZ could not take off as intended because of many unresolved issues, mainly those related to land.

Also read: Industry Caught in Jagan-Naidu’s One-Upmanship in Andhra Pradesh

As the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government sought to fast-track the Kakinada SEZ project, it constituted the six-member committee to talk to the aggrieved farmers and resolve the issues. The committee submitted its final report to the government last month and the cabinet approved it in toto.

Accordingly, the industries and commissioner department special chief secretary R. Karikal Valaven issued an order stating that habitations in Srirampuram, Badipeta, Mummidivaripadu, Pativaripalem, Ravivaripadu and Ramaraghavapuram (part) villages would not be disturbed. Only in case of Ramaraghavapuram, the habitations could be shifted to Ravivaripadu village if necessary, he said.

On the committee’s recommendation, the government ordered payment of a total compensation of Rs 10 lakh per acre for 657 acres of assigned lands that were taken for the KSEZ in Kona village. The committee also recommended payment of same amount of compensation for assigned lands taken for the Divis unit in the region.

The patta lands in these villages would also be removed from the list of prohibited properties that would enable sale and purchase.

Also read: Andhra Pradesh: Dispelling Some Myths About Amaravati and the Three Capitals Project

The special chief secretary said the AP Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries and Factories Act, 2019 has to be implemented providing 75% of jobs (in Kakinada SEZ) to the local unemployed youth. The Kakinada SEZ would also have to establish a skill development centre for the locals to acquire necessary skills fit for employment.

The government also directed that industries proposed to be set up in Kakinada SEZ or in the vicinity, including the Divis Labs unit, take all necessary precautions for proper treatment of effluents and shift the marine outfall to a farther point so as not to adversely affect the local hatcheries.

Cyclone Phethai To Hit Andhra Pradesh by Afternoon; 9 Districts on High Alert

The Indian Meteorological Department said though it weakened slightly, Phethai continues as a severe cyclonic storm. It is expected to make landfall at Kakinada.

New Delhi: The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday put all nine coastal districts on high alert as severe cyclonic storm Phethai is set to make landfall on Monday afternoon. According to latest information, the storm is about 160 km southeast of Machilipatnam and 190 km south of Kakinada. It is moving in the northern direction and is likely to cross Kakinada by the afternoon.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that though the storm weakened slightly, it continues as a severe cyclonic storm. It is expected to cross the coast with wind speed of 70-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph.

Also Read: Cyclone Gaja Was a National Disaster – Don’t Let State Apathy Suggest Otherwise

The government has put the State and National Disaster Response Forces on standby. On Sunday, rain and strong winds were observed in several parts of the coastal region, especially Krishna district. Rain was also experienced in Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to take precautionary measures and prevent loss of lives.

Forecasted path of Cyclone Phethai. Credit: Doordarshan

The Cyclone Warning Centre predicted a storm surge of up to one metre, warning that it could inundate the low lying areas of Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam district of Puducherry at the time of landfall.

Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea.

The IMD said that heavy rainfall is expected to accompany the cyclone. According to The News Minute, West Godavari’s Seethanagaram recorded 83.5 mm of rainfall by 4:30 am on Monday.

“Damage to thatched huts, minor damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of branches, damage to roads, uprooting of small trees and some damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards could occur. Sea water inundation in low lying areas after erosion of embankments could also occur,” the Cyclone Warning Centre based in Visakhapatnam said.

Several trains and flights from the coastal region were cancelled. According to the news agency ANI, 22 trains have been cancelled, while one has been rescheduled.