₹1,638 Crore Cleared for Expansion of Three Ports

The Andhra Pradesh government has accorded administrative sanction of ₹1,638.52 crore for the acquisition of 6,248.54 acres for the Phase-II expansion of the Ramayapatnam, Mulapeta and Machilipatnam greenfield ports, investments and infrastructure minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy announced on Tuesday.

Addressing the media at the Secretariat, the minister said the approvals were granted following the directions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to strengthen the state's maritime infrastructure and meet future industrial and logistics requirements.

Janardhan Reddy said Ramayapatnam Port received the highest allocation, with ₹851 crore sanctioned for the acquisition of 2,924.45 acres for its second phase of development.

For the Mulapeta Greenfield Port, the government sanctioned `440.52 crore to acquire 1,903.39 acres, including salt lands. Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) measures for affected families will also be implemented as part of the project, he said.

The minister said administrative approval had also been granted for `347 crore to acquire 1,420.70 acres for the Phase-II expansion of the Machilipatnam Greenfield Port.

He said the expansion of the three ports would strengthen Andhra Pradesh's coastal infrastructure, enhance cargo-handling capacity and support industrial growth, reinforcing the state's position as a key maritime gateway on the east coast.

Janardhan Reddy also announced the allocation of 63.01 acres for the proposed Nexus Integrated Logistics Park at Chinna Etivakam village in Satyavedu mandal of Tirupati district. The land will be allotted through the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board based on the company's proposal.

The logistics park is expected to attract an investment of `255 crore and generate employment for around 1,000 people, providing a boost to the logistics, warehousing and allied sectors in the region.