Mekapati seeks Central funding for 3 ports, 11 fishing harbours

The minister sought at least 25 per cent of the total outlay of Rs 14,000 crore as Central assistance. 
Mekapati Goutham Reddy with Union Power Minister RK Singh | Express
Mekapati Goutham Reddy with Union Power Minister RK Singh | Express

VIJAYAWADA: On the final day of his two-day visit to the national capital, Industries and Commerce Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy met Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday and sought funding assistance from the Centre for three proposed ports and 11 fishing harbours in Andhra Pradesh. 

Informing that the State government was developing greenfield ports at Bhavanapadu (worth Rs 4,362 crore), Machilipatnam (Rs 5,156 crore) and Ramayapatnam (Rs 3,736 crore) under landlord model for increasing port traffic from 150 MTPA to 250 MTPA by 2025 and 400 MTPA by 2030,  he urged the Centre to provide grant to any of the three  non-major ports.  The minister sought at least 25 per cent of the total outlay of Rs 14,000 crore as Central assistance. 

During his meeting with Union Power Minister RK Singh, he appealed to the Centre to set up a Solar PV Modules unit in the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Kopparthy of Kadapa. Informing that the AP government was in talks with the Coal India Limited (CIL) to establish a 4GW per annum solar wafer, cell, and module from imported polysilicon with an investment of Rs 7,200 crore and a potential to create direct employment to 4,000 to 4,500 people, he said that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) named ‘CIL Solar PV Limited’ as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CIL was incorporated in April 2021 for the same. He also met Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and sought the Centre’s support for development of tourism in Nellore. 

The minister called on World Economic Forum president Borge Brende. Complimenting AP’s industrial policy, the WEF president said they had invited Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to participate in the WEF meet to be held in Davos from January 17 to 21.  

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