Two decades after its establishment, Rushikonda IT Park continues to grapple with incomplete infrastructure, severely hampering the daily operations of the 20 companies situated across Hill-1, Hill-2, and Hill-3. These companies employ approximately ten thousand people, with six thousand working from home and four thousand commuting daily from various parts of the city.
A significant concern for the IT Park association has been the lack of sufficient public transportation. Despite repeated appeals, the response from RTC officials has been inadequate. “We’ve been asking for extended bus services to the IT park for years, but the situation remains unchanged,” lamented a company representative. Currently, two buses from Gajuwaka and two from the Dwarka Nagar RTC complex serve the IT Park. However, these buses operate only once at 9 AM and return at 6 PM, leaving shift workers without viable transportation options.
In a recent meeting with IT Principal Secretary Saurabh Gaur and Collector Harendhira Prasad, officials decided to operate buses from the city, but not from the car shed junction as requested by the companies. “We need at least three or four trips per day,” emphasized another company representative. “If that’s not possible, a route from the car shed junction to the IT park would greatly help.”
Compounding the transportation woes are frequent power outages, causing significant disruptions to business operations. “These power cuts are a serious problem,” an official from one of the companies explained. “Data backups are failing, and the auto switches connected to generators are getting damaged. These parts aren’t available locally, and repairs take about a week.”
EPDCL CMD Prithvi Tej acknowledged the issue, stating, “Due to the lack of a nearby substation, we sometimes have to stop the power supply briefly to address issues. However, we’re working on restoring power quickly and minimizing disruptions.” He added that there are plans to establish a sub-station near the IT park to mitigate these challenges.
The lack of dining options within the IT park is another major concern. “With four thousand people commuting here daily, the area is severely lacking in food options,” said an employee. “There’s just one hotel near the Hill-2 and Hill-3 junctions, and it’s expensive. After 6 PM, there’s nothing to eat unless you travel four kilometres to the car shed junction or Sai Priya Resort Junction.”
Security is also an issue, with non-functional CCTV cameras and inadequate street lighting on the main road. “Cameras are either not working or absent in many areas, and the street lights on the main road don’t work at night,” noted a company spokesperson. In response, officials suggested addressing these concerns through the Infrastructure Leasing and Advisory (ILA) group, which manages funds contributed by companies instead of taxes paid to the Corporation. The Collector emphasized the need to resolve these issues before the IT Minister visited Visakhapatnam and proposed exploring the option of running a minibus from the car shed junction through AILA for employees.
RTC Deputy Chief Traffic Manager Satyanarayana informed The Pioneer, “We will be introducing two buses from the city to the IT Park via Beach Road. Running buses from the car shed alone wouldn’t ensure proper occupancy.” He added that as Rushikonda IT Park faces ongoing infrastructure challenges, “the need for timely and effective solutions is becoming increasingly critical to support the companies and employees in this vital tech hub.”
