Vizagapatam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has regretted undue delay in constitution of AP Maritime Board and appealed to the government to start the process of forming it immediately.
Underlining the need to establish the board to enable planned development along the 974-km coastline, VCCI president A.V. Monish Row said on Saturday that there had been numerous announcements on giving a push to port-led development and converting the port cities into industrial hubs so as to increase marine product exports.
The Chennai Vizag Industrial Corridor projects a growth rate of 24 per cent as declared by the Asian Development Bank which has agreed to fund the first phase.
The present contribution to GDP by manufacturing to AP`s economy was about 10 per cent. The VCIC envisages doubling industrial output and increasing employment.
AP has proposed a highway that will link the ports right from Bhavanapadu in Srikakulam to Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Vodarevu, Krishnapatnam and Dugarajapatnam, according to Mr. Row.
He said the Central government had launched the Sagarmala project amid much fanfare with port-led development as its central theme. The LNG terminal at Kakinada was announced as part of Sagarmala.
