ADIDAS to generate employment for 30,000 in AP

Hyderabad, Mar 10 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K Rosaiah today said the internationally renowned ADIDAS shoe making factory coming up near Tada in Nellore district would employ 30,000 persons, including 20,000 women.

Replying to a question in the state assembly during the question hour by Anam Vivekananda Reddy and others of the Congress on special measures to develop the coastal areas in the state, the Minister said that as part of the State Government's efforts to develop all the coastal areas where port facility was available, the ADIDAS project had materialised.

He said the factory would be be beneficial to the people of the area.

Mr Rosaiah said Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram and Kakinada ports would be further developed to enable exports and general development of these areas.

The Minister also said Government was contemplating setting up of an International Ship Yard at Gangavaram port.

The Government was also proposing to develop water transport in the state, in view of congestion on the road and railways the minister said.

He said the state was pursuing developing of water transport between Bhadrachalam and Rajahmundry on river Godavari and between Wazirabad and Prakasham Barrage on river Krishna.

Development of water transport through Kakinada canal, Eluru canal, Kommamuru canal and Buckingham canal was also proposed, he added.

Mr Rosaiah said the Government had submitted a proposal, integrating all these proposals and urged the Centre to sanction it as a National Waterway.

The Minister said the State had a coast line of 960 km and the Government was seized of the question of utilizing it for the all-round development of the coastal area.

He said Krishnapatnam port was being developed at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore as iron ore and other minerals from Kadapa in AP and Hospet and Bellary in Karnataka could be exported from there, instead of from Chennai.

He said the Centre was being requested to to lay a 114-km railway line from Obulavaripalli in Kadapa district to Krishnapatnam port for the export of minerals.

He said the Government was requesting the NMDC to take atleast 26 per cent equity in the Krishnapatnam port and railway projects.

Mr Rosaiah said the Government was developing Acqua Culture Cluster scheme and would set up a Jawaharlal Nehru Pharmacity at Paravada in Visakhapatnam district, apart from a textile park in the same district.

The efforts were on to promote Petrochemical industries in the coastal areas, he added.

UNI JRK VD HT1840