KAKINADA: Minister for IT and Industries Gudivada Amarnath laid foundation stone for the expansion works of the anchorage port with an outlay of Rs 91.18 crore under Sagarmala Programme with the support of Sagarmala Development Corporation Limited (SDCL) and L&T Infrastructure Engineering Limited. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the port will play an important role by providing 5,000 jobs and also in the port-based development will be fasted in Andhra Pradesh.
He said that the AP has the second largest coastline in the country and will have a booming import and export as the government is determined to develop 10 ports including 9 fishing harbours.
“In addition to the existing ports, four more port files were cleared by the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. One at Ramayapatnam with an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore and one more at Machilipatnam port with an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore,” he explained. The foundation stone for Machilipatnam port is likely to be laid on December 21 in the occasion of CM Jagan birthday.
Besides these two ports, two more ports one at Bhavanapadu in Srikakulam district and another one in Kakinada district are in pipeline, he added.
Amarnath said that nine fishing harbours are being developed along with the long coast of the state which will check the migrations of fisher folk from the state to faraway places.
He also said that four fishing harbours are under construction and the three will become operational soon. Aminabad fishing harbor at Uppada in Kakinada district is being constructed with Rs.270 crores, he explained.
According to him, the state government will utilize the natural resources to generate income. Thousands of jobs are being created by the industrialisation at sea coast and the Bulk Drug Park project is the Kakinada’s good luck.
He criticised the opposition parties for opposing the project. “The project will be a boon to the state, as it would bring 20,000 jobs. Our Chief Minister is making every effort to make the state emerge as strongest economy when compared to past 75 years,” he said.
The works were taken up with an estimated cost of Rs 73.34 crore which will improve the Anchorage port facilities. Under the project the Anchorage port will develop with revetment strengthening, new roads and existing loading points construction as well as construction of wharves for mechanical handling.
Kakinada city MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy presided over the meeting at Anchorage port in Kakinada. Iand PR Minister Ch Venugopal Krishna, Kakinada rural MLA Kurasala Kannababu, Kakinada MP Vanga Geeta and others were present.