‘Use government lands for Masula port’

The Navayuga management had submitted a detailed project report to the Indian Ports Association that 4,800 acres was sufficient for development of Machilipatnam port.

Former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreswara Rao addressing the media in Vijayawada on Monday.- Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar

Former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreswara Rao has urged the government to spare agriculture lands for development of Machilipatnam Port and instead use government lands for the purpose. He also demanded that the government should acquire the farmers’ lands as per the Land Acquisition Act 2013 norms, if it was not convinced about sparing farmers lands for port development.

The Navayuga management had submitted a detailed project report to the Indian Ports Association that 4,800 acres was sufficient for development of Machilipatnam port. Accordingly, the then Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had issued an order sanctioning 5,324 acres for the project, despite this the TDP government was now planning to acquire more lands, he said at a press conference here on Monday.

In a hurry, the State government had issued a notification and wants to pool nearly 5,000 acres from poor farmers for constructing the port. Major ports in the country like the one in Chennai is operated in 500 acres, Kochi, Ennore and others are operated in 2,000 acres, then why does one need 5,000 acres for Machilipatnam port, he questioned.

“I welcome the move to develop the Machilipatnam port but if the government still requires more lands for the port, then due procedures like conducting social impact survey, environmental clearances should be followed,” Mr. Rao said. He also found fault with the government for allotting 50 acres of prime land in Madhuravada in Visakhapatnam to IT company for about Rs.25 crore while the market value of the land was more than Rs.360 crore. The Chandrababu Naidu government is repeating the mistakes and irregularities committed by previous government.

The Cabinet has recently approved the enhancement of land lease period for private companies from 33 years to 99 years. In the name of development, rich and prime lands were being allotted to private companies at throw away prices, he said.

The Chandrababu Naidu government is repeating the mistakes and irregularities committed by previous government

Vadde Sobhanadreswara Rao,

Former Minister