Port-based development poised to take off

Kakinada: The State is poised for more port and allied-based development proposed under Sagarmala, the Union government programme taken up at a cost of Rs 46,795 crore.Under this programme, 36 developmental works which include port modernisation, port connectivity-rail projects, port connectivity-road projects, port-led development and coastal community development were proposed at the recent Sagarmala Apex Committee meeting organised at New Delhi.

Under this programme, Kakinada was included for development as a petrochemical cluster with a cost of Rs 420 crore. Besides this a port-based mega food processing park was proposed with Rs 2,479 crore.

With regards to development of education-based programme, Logistic and Maritime University with a cost of Rs 300 crore was also proposed under this programme. Under the ports development programme, the development of both Machilipatnam (Bandar) and Vodarevu were proposed with a cost of Rs 5,000 crore.

With regards to port connectivity rail projects Obulapuram – Kirishanapatnam was proposed with Rs 1,185 crore, doubling of rail line between Krishnapatnam- Venkatachalam with a cost of Rs 87 crore was proposed.

Besides this, the conversion of existing road between Kakinada Port and Uppada with NH 16 was proposed at a cost of Rs 980 crore.Under coastal community development programme, the Fisheries growth centre at Uppada in East Godavari was proposed with a project cost of Rs 40 crore. Of the 36 proposals in Kakinada leads, the lists with Krishnapatnam occupied second place.

East Godavari Joint Collector and in-charge director of State ports S Satyanarayana said that in addition to these nine road projects, five rail projects were also kept ready. Subject to acceptance of the already-proposed 36 projects, we would send these to Sagarmala Apex Committee for consideration and approve the in-charge, DOP said.