VER to get Rs 5,000 crore boost; Araku Valley to see new trekking trails

Visakhapatnam: The Union budget announced a ₹5,000-crore allocation for the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER) over the next five years. The funds will be deployed through a challenge mode with a reform-cum-results-based financing mechanism to implement city plans.Covering nine districts from Srikakulam to Konaseema, the VER has been selected under NITI Aayog's National Growth Hub initiative. A recent report by the policy think tank outlined an ambitious pathway to transform VER into a $125–135 billion economy by FY32. While the report suggested measures for comprehensive development across all districts, it placed special focus on Vizag, proposing the development of a Bay City between Kailasagiri and Bheemili, along with Vizag 2.0 extending up to the upcoming Bhogapuram airport and the aerocity project around the greenfield airport.The initiative aims to develop the Vizag region into an economic powerhouse, contributing to Andhra Pradesh's $2.4 trillion economic target. Key sectors identified include port-led trade, IT hubs and innovation centres, agriculture and allied industries, tourism, healthcare, infrastructure, and transport networks.The Budget also proposed trekking facilities in Araku Valley, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing ecologically sustainable mountain trails across India, including the Eastern Ghats. Araku's trails range from coffee plantation walks to steep ridges like Raktakonda, and village-to-village routes around Paderu–Dumbriguda.Additionally, bird-watching trails were announced along Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. On the Andhra side, the Pulicat sanctuary in Nellore district offers wetland and lagoon trails, with routes near Sullurupeta providing waterbird sightings along the Pulicat–Sriharikota causeway.