Veligonda project to boost industrialisation in district

Ongole: THERE are 47 large and mega enterprises in the district with a fixed capital of Rs 3,500 crore and providing employment to 18,709 persons. Similarly, 8,963 small and medium scale industries have a capital investment of Rs 2,178.32 crore and generating livelihood for 86,089 people.

One of the important reasons for the non-realization of units by many industries expressing interest to establish units in the Prakasam district is a scarcity of water. With the regular push by the government, boring of the first tunnel is complete and the first phase of the Veligonda project is about to completed in just a few months and the officials are planning to release water through it. Once the project starts providing water, people migrating for work from the district can be a source of good manpower if properly trained.

When the government succeeds in providing water through the Veligonda project, the western part of the Prakasam district will become a major industrial zone in Andhra Pradesh with the already announced National Infrastructure and Manufacturing Zone at Kanigiri, Donakonda Mega Industrial Hub and Ramayapatnam port. This also helps the migrating locals, a great workforce, to get livelihood in the district.

The district is rich in deposits of black galaxy granite, granite, building stone, silica sand, quartz, slate stone, iron ore and manganese. For the year 2019-20, the government received Rs 352 crore as revenue from the minerals. The granite industry alone provides Rs 250 crore of revenue to the government, every year.