An anchor story carried by a popular English daily in its Visakhapatnam edition has created a sensation in the media circles.
According to this report, the YSR Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has dropped the plan to locate the state secretariat and chief minister’s office in the Millennium Towers at Rishikonda on the Visakhapatnam-Bheemili road.
Reason: Indian Navy has opposed to setting up of the secretariat at the I-T Special Economic Zone at Rushikonda, as it is closer to INS Kalinga, Indian Navy’s prime and key establishment.
The INS Kalinga is strategically spread over 734 acres, where it prepares, stores and delivers advanced missile systems to ships of Eastern Naval Command fleet.
Quoting highly placed sources in the Indian Navy, the report said the Eastern Naval Command has, in fact, been asking for more land for further expansion of the station and is locking horns with the Revenue department over 400 acres of land in the area.
The Naval authorities have reportedly objected to setting up of civil administration closer to military establishment like INS Kalinga.
“They are now assessing the risks and challenges if the secretariat comes up at Millennium Towers. Apparently, they are worried that there will be a lot of movement of people and vehicles in the area which would witness hectic activity, that will pose risk to the Indian Navy,” the report quoting sources in the Indian Navy said.
However, as of now, the Jagan government has not come out with an official plan to shift secretariat to the Millennium Towers.
But once the government officially announces the decision, the authorities would come out openly with their objections, the report said, adding that having learnt about the Navy’s objections, the government itself has dropped the plan.