Nellore: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday said Andhra Pradesh will have four more ports and nine fishing harbours, and expressed confidence about creating employment opportunities for lakhs of unemployed across the state.
He was addressing a large gathering after performing Bhumi Puja
(ground-breaking ceremony) to the Ramayapatnam Port at Mondivaripalem in SPSR Nellore district. The port will be built with an outlay of Rs 3,736.14 crore.
Unlike the Telugu Desam government, he said his government has been performing ground-breaking ceremonies for projects only after mobilising the resources to complete them.
Reminding that there were only six ports in the state, he said his
government is building four more ports including Ramayapatnam to boost economic activity, employment opportunities and overall development.
He assured people that each port would provide indirect employment to lakhs of people as the government is also setting up nine fishing harbours in addition to ports at Bhavanapadu, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, and Ramayapatnam.
Observing that the state would be a port or fishing harbour for every 50 km in the state, Jagan Mohan Reddy said the bhumi puja for the other proposed ports will be performed within two months.
He said that Ramayapatnam Port will have four berths with a handling
capacity of 25 million tonnes. “Six more additional berths can be added in the future at a cost of Rs 200 crore each for handling over 50 million tonnes,” he said.
With the construction of four ports, the Chief Minister said an additional 100 million tonne cargo handling capacity will be created in the state in addition to the existing capacity of 228 million tonnes.
Taking a dig at the previous Telugu Desam government, the Chief Minister recalled the foundation ceremony for the Ramayapatnam Port was performed by former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu in February 2019, just two months before the general elections.
He said Chandrababu Naidu did nothing during his five-year rule other than betraying people by laying a foundation without project reports or land acquisition. Unlike the previous government, he said that the current government has procured 850 acres of land for the constructing of the port with Rs 3,740 crore.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister thanked the people of Mondivaripalem, Avulavaripalem, Karlapalem, Ravuru, Chevuru, and Salipeta villages for giving their lands to the port. He also distributed R&R (Rehabilation&Resettlement) pattas to the displaced families.
Responding to the request of local legislator M. Mahidhar Reddy, the Chief Minister sanctioned development works in the Kandukur constituency. He later offered silk robes and performed harathi to the Bay of Bengal after tossing a brick into the water to mark the symbolic start of the port works.
Jagan Mohan Reddy also interacted with girl students of a local school who sang a patriotic song before the start of the programme.
In his address, Kandukuru legislator M. Mahidhar Reddy said the Ramayapatnam Port is a long-cherished dream of the people of the Kandukuru constituency and praised the Chief Minister for realising their dream.
Industries minister G. Amarnath, Principal Secretary to Government R.
Karikala Valaven, Kavali legislator Ramireddy Pratapkumar Reddy and
Collector of SPSR Nellore district KVN Chakradhar Babu also spoke.
Ministers Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Ambati Rambabu, Nellore MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy, Rajya Sabha member Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy MLAs M Mahidhar Reddy, R Pratap Kumar Reddy, and other officials were present.
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