Ready to touch Adani’s feet for container terminal revival: Somireddy

Nellore : ‘In the interest of farmers and people and also for the benefit of over 10,000 people, who lost their jobs, I will fell on the feet of Adani, if necessary,’ stated Sarvepalle MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy. Along with TDP, BJP, Jana Sena and CPI leaders, he held a meeting with Adani Krishnapatnam Port CEO GJ Rao and PRO Venugopal on Thursday and discussed about terminal renovation, wages increase and other issues. Later he inspected container terminal yard. The MLA submitted a memorandum to the port authorities seeking relaunch of the operations by getting back Container Terminal to Krishnapatnam port.

Later speaking with reporters, Somireddy said that Port revival is their main aim. He said that exports and imports of prawns, fish, mirchi and other products came to a standstill. He stated that before 2019, exports and imports in 10 lakh containers took place, providing an income of Rs 900 crore to Rs 1,000 crore per annum to the State government.

The MLA alleged that though there was no loss occurred by continuing the terminal operations, the port authorities had shifted Container Terminal to Chennai, only because of the pressure from former Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy. With the closure, over 12,000 people lost their jobs. Somireddy assured of providing all sorts of help on behalf of the State government. If needed, we will meet the Centre also, he added. The MLA clarified that they are ready to launch agitation and even ready to sacrifice their lives, if the container terminal is not revived in Krishnapatnam Port.

It may be recalled that six months before 2024 elections, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy launched protest against shifting of container terminal from Krishnapatnam Port to Chennai, alleging that former Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy’s role behind this. As part of damage control measures, Kakani Govardhan Reddy received the vessel at the port and thanked port authorities for resuming terminal operations. The very next day at a press conference, TDP leader Chandramohan Reddy alleging that the vessel carried empty containers without loading caught political controversy.