Hopes for Ramayapatnam port brighten

BJP leader promises to take up the issue with Centre

A panoramic view of Ramayapatnam coast in Prakasam district.

Prospects for a sea port at Ramayapatnam brightened with the BJP plunging into the movement launched by the Prakasam District Development Forum(PDDF) for early grounding of the second public sector port project on the east coast in the backward district.

Expressing solidarity with the PDDF, spearheading a struggle cutting across party lines, BJP district president P.V. Krishna Reddy said the State unit was sympathetic to the cause and promised to take up the issue with the party-led government at the Centre, which ruled out taking up of the project at Dugarajapatnam in view of security, environment and security concerns.

Party leader D. Purandeswari would lead a padayatra soon to press the demand, he added. BJP SC wing State secretary K. Raghavulu said the party would fully back the stir for the port. Chairing a meeting of all parties and civil society organisations here on Tuesday, PDDF president Ch. Ranga Rao said the front would take its stir from Ongole to Amaravati and New Delhi in phases to exert pressure on the TDP. Protests would be staged ahead of the Budget session of the Lok Sabha to achieve the demand, said PDDF students wing president Kakumanu John Benny.

Dispersed development

CPI(M) district assistant secretary G.V.Konda Reddy said the Marxist party, including its Nellore unit, fully backed the stir as the port would spur dispersed development of the backward parts both in Prakasam and Nellore districts.

With Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly making it clear to a group of TDP MPs that Dugarajapatnam could not be considered, the State government had no option but to recommend the case of Ramayapatnam, said CPI district Secretary M.L. Narayana. Andhra Pradesh Federation of Granite Industries president Sidda Venkateswara Rao promised to take up the issue with Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu.

The experts committee constituted for the purpose found the site in Prakasam district most suitable for the project, said Madiga Corporation Sadhana Samiti convenor K. Kanaka Rao Madiga.