A week ahead of kick-starting construction activity on the proposed Machilipatnam deep-sea port, the first batch of machinery arrived at the site on Friday. A decade ago, a foundation stone was laid for the port by then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Machilipatnam Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Vice-Chairman P. Wilson Babu on Friday finalised the site where Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would perform bhumi puja, kick-starting the construction work on February 7.
“A site has been identified near the Manginapudi lighthouse area on the shoreline to begin the port work. The construction of the port project will begin with dredging activity,” Mr. Wilson Babu said. The MUDA is developing a park on a two-acre site near the port site, where Chief Minister will unveil the port pylon before addressing the gathering.
Law Minister Kollu Ravindra on Friday inspected site and road works under progress to enable the heavy machinery to reach the site. The MUDA is preparing the ground for the grand ceremony, planning to release nearly 10,000 balloons into the sky over the coastal villages.
Bus yatra
Speaking to newsmen here, Mr. Ravindra said a bus yatra would cover all the coastal villages from February 2 (Saturday), campaigning about the port project. “The bus yatra is a call, inviting the families in the coastal villages to join us in celebrating the commencement of the port works. The coastal villages had waited for the port for over a decade”, he said.
