To

The Honourable Minister for Defence,
Government of India,
New Delhi.

Respected Sir,

Sub: Request not to move Electronic Warfare Lab from Kadapa district - 13,000 acres of Government land available near Jammalamadugu - 6,300 acres in Kopparthi - Reg.

When the news about the DRDO's proposed Electronic Warfare Lab in Kopparthi near Kadapa came (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/electronic-warfare-lab-in-kadapa-district/article6398329.ece), we were elated that it would benefit the Kadapa district which is the most backward district in Industrial sector in Andhra Pradesh.

But our hopes were dashed when we heard about the relocation of this lab to a neighbouring district as stated by Mr. Venkaiah Naidu (Honourable Minister for Urban Development) in a public speech in Kadapa on 18th Jan citing the Kadapa Airport in the vicinity as a hindrance. This is really surprising because the said airport has been there since 1953. Though the operations were suspended in the 1990s, renovation of the airport started in 2008 and in the last three years, every couple of months there have been news reports that the airport would be inaugurated shortly. This being the case, it is hard to believe that DRDO which made a request for land allotment in Kopparthi as late as September 2014 was blind to all these developments.

We humbly request you to take steps to establish the Lab either in Kopparthi or some other place in the same district as vast expanses of uncultivable land is available in the district (e.g., 13,000 acres of acquired Government land is available near Jammalamadugu besides the 6,300 acres in Kopparthi) keeping in mind the strategic location and industrial backwardness of Kadapa district.

We would like to bring to your notice that as per the official statistics of districtwise Industries in AP (available in the website of the State's Industrial Department) there are merely 11 Heavy and Medium industries in Kadapa while there are 102 in Chittoor, 42 in Anantapur, 39 in Kurnool and in fact Kadapa has the lowest number of Medium/Heavy Industries in AP (Src: www.apind.gov.in/library/district/kadapa.pdf and other similar links).

Thank you,

Yours Sincerely,