State to be developed as East–West cargo corridor

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to develop the state as a major East–West cargo corridor by strengthening cargo handling operations at ports across the state.

During a review meeting held at the Secretariat on ports and fishing harbours, the Chief Minister stressed the need to expedite cargo operations at the newly constructed ports of Mulapeta, Machilipatnam and Ramayapatnam. He instructed officials to take necessary steps to ensure cargo movement from the hinterland regions of neighbouring states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka through these ports.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that construction of Machilipatnam and Ramayapatnam ports is expected to be completed by December 2026. Naidu said that once the refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited is established, Ramayapatnam will emerge as a major container and bulk cargo port.

The Chief Minister also revealed that the Railway Ministry has approved a dedicated rail connectivity project from Ramayapatnam to the Kadapa Steel Plant, which will significantly improve cargo transportation.

Naidu suggested developing port townships near the three ports to boost commercial activity and said industrial corridors are also likely to emerge in these regions due to improved infrastructure.

He further directed officials to accelerate the second phase of fishing harbour construction at Budagatlapalem Fishing Harbour, Pudimadaka Fishing Harbour and Kothapatnam Fishing Harbour. Highlighting the state’s strategic location, the Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh is poised to become a logistics hub on India’s east coast, with ports and fishing harbours planned roughly every 50 kilometres along the coastline. He emphasized that the state’s ports should emerge as game changers in cargo handling.

Naidu also pointed out that due to the ongoing global conflicts affecting ports in Dubai and Gulf countries, there is a growing perception that ports on India’s east coast are safer. He urged officials to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s maritime infrastructure and attract greater cargo traffic. The review meeting was attended by Special Chief Secretary for Investments and Infrastructure M. T. Krishna Babu and Maritime Board CEO Abhishek Kumar, among other officials.