YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) North Coastal Andhra Pradesh in-charge Y.V. Subba Reddy announced on Saturday that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would lay the foundation stone for two infrastructure development projects in the region on May 3.
Mr. Subba Reddy said foundation stones would be laid for the international greenfield airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district and the Vizag Tech Park (Adani Data Centre) on Hill No. 4 at Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam.
Mr. Subba Reddy, along with IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath and Bheemunipatnam MLA Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, inspected the arrangements and conducted a review meeting with the officials.
Later, Mr. Subba Reddy, who is also Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman, told the media that a helipad would be developed on Hill No. 3.
“In the run-up to the 2019 elections, we promised to build the Bhogapuram airport after coming to power. We are now doing it. Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy will do whatever he says. Works on the projects will start soon after foundation stones are laid,” he added.
Mr. Amarnath countered the Telugu Desam Party’s allegations that their government had already laid the foundation stone for the airport.
The TDP government had laid the stone on February 15, 2019, days ahead of the issuance of the election notification on March 10. “The TDP had done so only for the sake of elections,” the Minister said.
“But we are laying the foundation stone for the airport almost one year before the elections. We will develop it in 2,200 acres with an investment of ₹35,000 crore,” he added.
Mr. Amarnath reiterated that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy would start functioning from Visakhapatnam from September.