Industries Minister inaugurates cargo ship 'Jal Riddhi'

Kakinada: Minister for Industries, Infrastructure, Investment, Commerce and Information Technology Gudivada Amarnath stated that Kakinada seacoast would emerge as national as well as international hub for exports and imports, besides industrial development. He said that the cargo such as coal, iron ore and rice from Kakinada port will be exported to Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and other ports in the country through this cargo ship.

He inaugurated Jal Riddhi cargo ship at Kakinada Anchorage Port (KAP) along with MP Vanga Geetha, Ministers Chelluboina Venu Gopala Krishna and Dadisetty Ramalingeswar Rao (Raja), MLAs Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy and Kurasala Kannababu, and District Collector Kritika Shukla here on Friday.

Bothra Group, renowned in export-import sector, entrusted the construction of the ship to M/s San Marine, which completed the construction of an 8,000 tons cargo ship successfully. At present KAP handles about 3 MTPA of export cargo with existing minimum facilities. In order to enhance the capacity of KAP, APMB and State government have taken up the work of 'Improvement of Kakinada Anchorage Port Infrastructure Facilities' under Sagarmala Programme with support of Sagarmala Development Corporation Limited (SDCL). M/s. L&T Infrastructure Engineering Ltd has prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) with cost of works as Rs 85.83 crore. The State government accorded administrative sanction to the project for Rs 91.185 crore.

Minister Amarnath said that Opposition parties are alleging that the KAP would be closed and the workers will lose their livelihood due to the non-functioning of KAP for the last few decades. Dispelling the opposition's allegations, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken a bold step of restoring the prospects of KAP by sanctioning Rs 100 crore, he added.

He further said that soon after coming into power, the CM constituted a Maritime Board with the sole intention of developing KAP besides creating new anchorage ports in the State. He said that besides already existing ports, the government has taken up three more ports and the CM would inaugurate another port in Machilipatanam on December 21, with an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore. With the completion of the port in Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) and Bhavanapadu Port at Srikakulam the AP government will get the highest income. He said that apart from development of the anchorage ports CM Jagan is interested in developing shipping harbours also.

He said that already four shipping harbours are being constructed in AP and shipping harbour at Juvvaladinne will commence in January 2023. Uppada and Kakinada sea coast will also be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 270 crore.

Minister Amarnath stated that a Bulk Drug Park construction will be commenced at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore in Kakinada seacoast areas, which would provide direct employment to 20,000 people and indirect jobs to another 20,000.