Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy listed the construction of three seaports and eight fishing harbours, development of Kopparthy industrial cluster in Kadapa district, Bhogapuram airport and laying a beach road from there to Visakhapatnam and a drinking water pipeline to the port city from Polavaram and Vizag metro rail as his government's top priorities on the infrastructure front, at a review meeting on seaports and industrial corridors on Thursday.
Officials told the Chief Minister that tenders for the port at Ramayapatnam would be finalised by December 15 and it was targeted to get the first phase works on four berths with an annual cargo handling capacity of 15 million tons, started by February 2021.
Tenders for Bhavanapadu and Machilipatnam ports would be finalised by December 15 and February 15 respectively. Construction of fourth berth at Bhavanapadu with a capacity of 25 MTPA and six berths at Machilipatnam port with 26 MTPA would begin in March and April 2021.
The Chief Minister ordered that the construction of these ports should be completed in two and a half years. He also wanted the possibility of building a port at Rambilli in Visakhapatnam to be explored in order to reduce pressure on the Visakhapatnam port.
Cargo facilities
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said due emphasis should be laid on providing cargo facilities at Tirupati, Nellore and Kadapa airports. He suggested to the officials to work out a scheme for supplying desalinated water to industries so that water fit for consumption could be saved. He insisted that sewage treatment plants should be compulsorily set up in the upcoming industrial corridors and estates to check pollution.
Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy, Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, Special Chief Secretary R. Karikal Valaven and director of industries J.V.N. Subrahmanyam, APIIC vice-chairman R. Raveen Kumar Reddy and AP Maritime Board CEO N.P. Ramakrishna Reddy were among those present.
