Naidu’s ₹9,000 Cr Port Push to Make AP India’s Eastern Gateway

Three major ports in Andhra Pradesh — Ramayapatnam, Machilipatnam and Mulapeta, will soon witness significant development in the infrastructure and logistics.

On Thursday, the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board signed a pact with the APM Terminals to develop the three major ports with an investment of Rs 9,000 crore. The agreement was inked in the presence of visionary CM N. Chandrababu Naidu. Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said that AP would be developed as the ‘eastern gateway’ for maritime trade and a logistics hub in the country.

Naidu has been iterating that the government would take measures to benefit from the long coast stretching over 1,000 km, in the state. He had said that development of ports would not only generate income but also provide direct and indirect employment to thousands of youth. The development of the three ports will also generate jobs, providing direct employment to over 10,000.

Accordingly, the CM has initiated steps for the development of the ports. The APM Terminals is a subsidiary of global shipping and port management major AP Moller-Maersk. As part of the agreement, the three ports would be provided with modern terminals and also advanced cargo-handling systems.

In view of the above facilities, the CM instructed the officials to develop facilities and ecosystem to ensure low-cost cargo transport to neighbouring states such as Telangana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Odisha.

At the same time, he asked the APM Terminals to prepare a comprehensive logistics plan covering road, rail, inland waterways and air connectivity to strengthen the trade network in the state.