In the first major decision on industrial investment after the TDP-led government came to power in Andhra Pradesh, the state government has, vide GO MS 96, directed the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) to hand over 1,200 acres to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for setting up of a 4,000MW super thermal power station in the district.AP government has decided to allot the land to NTPC, which is expected to bring in a massive investment of around Rs 20,000 crore into the state.This will be the third coal-based power project in Visakhapatnam after the 2,000 MW NTPC Simhadri and 1,040 MW Hinduja National Power Corporation Limited making the district a major power cluster.The allotted land will be near the Andhra Pradesh Special Economic Zone in Pudimadaka village of Atchuthapuram Mandal in the district. According to the state government, the project will be the biggest single location power plant in the state.
NTPC had sought the land as it was close to its existing Simhadri project and the state-run power generator could take advantage of existing infrastructure such as housing facilities, railway siding, and technical man power already present in Visakhapatnam.Furthermore, the AP government has consented to allot the land as NTPC had committed that it would complete the project before March 2019. The government will be allotting the land on a long lease of 33 years for setting up the coal based 5x800MW (4,000MW) super thermal power station. The lease period would be extended further if the project continues to run successfully.Meanwhile, industry sources said the decision to allot the land to NTPC would provide a boost to the manufacturing, fisheries as well as IT sector in the state, which have been reeling under power shortage during the last two to three years.
