VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's observation that the long coastline is a boon for the development of the truncated State seems to be true with cargo throughput in the ports in Andhra Pradesh has grown at about 15 per cent year-on-year from 131 Million Metric Tonnes (MMTs) to 150 MMTs.
Particularly, the cargo movement in the ports under administration control of the State government has increased from 69.6 MMTs to 86.3 MMTs, registering a 24 per cent growth.
The State government is planning to achieve growth of 20 MMTs in cargo movement in the current fiscal.
Speaking to Express, Infrastructure and Investments Principal Secretary Ajay Jain said that cargo movement in the ports has grown from 131 MMTs in 2016-17 to 150 MMTs in 2017-18.
"Now, we are expecting to enhance it to 170 MMTs in this fiscal," he added.
Stating that the government is keen on expediting the works of various ports in the State, an official dealing with ports, said that aimed at expediting the works of Machilipatnam port, the state government recently approved to provide guarantee for raising loan from financial institutions for land acquisition and also directed the Krishna District Collector and Vice Chairman of Machilipatnam Urban Development Authority to take steps for the same.
With regard to the Bhavanapadu port in Srikakulam district, he said a Letter of Award (LoA) had been issued to the developer (Adani Ports and SEZ) and the concession agreement would be signed soon.
Land to an extent of 2,050 acres has already been identified and the process of land acquisition will commence after the district collector finalising cost of land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement.
> Cargo movement in AP ports grown at about 15 % from 131 MMTs in 2016-17 to 150 MMTs in 150 MMTs in 2017-18
> Officials expect it grow further to 170 MMTs in 2018-19
> Cargo movement at ports under control AP government grown from 69.6 MMTs in 2016-17 to 86.3 MMTs in 2017-18, an increase of 24 %
> Letter of award issued to Bhavanapadu port developer Adani Ports and SEZ in March, 2018