Despite its proximity to Vijayawada, Gannavaram Assembly constituency in Krishna district, lags in development. Locals are of the opinion that the development of the IT park at Kesarapalli village and the expansion of the Gannavaram airport would help to usher in development in the constituency.
Former chief minister the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for the IT park, which was developed on an area of 1.75 lakh square feet under the public-private partnership at a cost of `70 crore. The project was inaugurated in 2010 but has been facing teething problems since then. It has managed to attract only four small and medium IT companies, which occupied only 15,550 square feet and provided a ray of hope to youngsters with respect to employment. For reasons unknown, the job opportunities have not been realised. “There is an urgency for the new government in residuary Andhra Pradesh to develop and utilise the IT park in the constituency. It should attract international companies that will provide employment opportunities not only to local youth but also to IT students from Krishna, Guntur, West Godavari and Prakasam districts”, says Rajesh, a B Tech student and a resident of Gannavaram.

There has been a long-pending demand for the expansion of the Gannavaram airport. “Initially, locals were reluctant to give their lands for the expansion, but now they are ready and it is the responsibility of the government to develop the airport,” S Venkateswara Rao of Gannavaram said.