NELLORE: Member of Parliament representing Nellore Lok Sabha segment, Adala Prabhakar Reddy has ruled out the possibility of the Central government approval for the much publicised major port at Dugarajapatnam in SPSR Nellore district.
Speaking to this newspaper he referred to environmental restrictions because of Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird’s Sanctuary and Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in the vicinity of the Dugarajapatnam that included the objections raised by Indian Space Research Organisation against the proposed port.
Mr Reddy, who raised several development related issues of Nellore district in the Parliament said that he had requested the Centre to give early approval to the major port at Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district since it was suitable and much nearer to Rayalaseema and the land-locked Telangana State unlike Dugarajapatnam.
He also appealed to the Centre to set up the proposed petrochemical complex in the state at Ramayapatnam, instead of Kakinada, to make the port more viable. “There is only one major port in the state at Visakapatnam located in north coastal AP and the need for a second major port in south coastal AP is being felt as the state has a long coastline exceeding 1,000 km,” Mr Reddy maintained.
Reacting to a question about delay on the part of state government to issue an approval letter in favour of port at Ramayapatnam instead of Dugarajapatnam, he said that he will take up the issue with the Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to expedite the process.
He said he had urged the Centre to sanction funds through “Khelo India Scheme” to develop infrastructure on the 150 acres of land acquired for a sports village near Nellore.
It may be recalled that Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu had advised the Sport Authority of AP to prepare the DPR (Detailed Project Report) for the sports village as early as possible when he was the Union minister for urban development in 2014.
His intention was to ensure sanction of nearly Rs 250 crore under Khelo India programme, but the state government and SAAP had failed to prepare the project report then.
Mr Reddy said he was also batting for Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) maintenance centre at the huge railway yard built across 1100 acres, but which was lying idle in Bitragunta. Lalu Prasad Yadav had laid the foundation stone for concrete sleeper manufacturing unit at Bitragunta when he was Railway Minister, he said the project never took off but his proposal on EMU maintenance centre would generate thousands of jobs in the region.
Mr Prabhakar Reddy said he was also in touch with human resources department to obtain sanction for Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools at Kavali, Kandukur and Atmakur and added that they had already opened one at Kandukur recently.
He said his priorities included an outer ring road for Nellore, beach road between Mypadu and Koduru and a Central government sponsored skill training centre in his parliament constituency.
