Any attempt to shift the proposed major Port at Nakkapalli in the district will be opposed tooth and nail by the YSR Congress. The undue delay in the granting of round-the-clock operations at Visakhapatnam Airport also came in for criticism from the YSRCP leaders at a media conference here on Saturday.
Payakaraopeta MLA Golla Babu Rao said the proposed port could result in the development of the backward Nakkapalli area, which falls in his constituency. He appealed to Minister for Infrastructure and Investments Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to intervene in the matter and thwart any move to shift the proposed airport to Prakasam district.
He said the Congress would be taught a fitting lesson in the next elections, if injustice was done to the district. Referring to the Visakhapatnam – Kakinada PCPIR region, which was mooted by the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, he said it was unfortunate that no steps were being taken in that direction also. He said an all-party delegation could go to Delhi, if necessary, to prevent the shifting of the proposed port.
Mr. Babu Rao sought a firm commitment from the government before the Chief Minister comes to the district for the ‘Indiramma Baata’ programme. He decried the inordinate delay in starting of round-the-clock operations at the Visakhapatnam airport. He said Union Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju and Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari should exert pressure on the government in this regard.
YSRCP City convener Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav alleged that the State government was giving lame excuses on the plan to shift the proposed port at Nakkapalli by shifting the blame on to the Navy. He said Mr. Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Ms. Purandeswari should take steps to obtain early clearance for 24/7 operations.
YSRCP leaders G.V. Ravi Raju and Koyya Prasad Reddy were present.
