Ramayapatnam port idea attracting investors

Ongole: The announcement by the state government that it would construct a port at the Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district is attracting investments for a mega paper industry and steel plant along with other industries in the district.

The port at Ramayapatnam has been there for quite a long time. Though it was one of the promises made in the AP State Reorgansiation Act, 2014, the port at Dugarajapatnam and not Ramayapatnam even that did not materialise as the project was reported to be unviable. At the same time, the locals in the Prakasam district intensified the movement for the Ramayapatnam port and proved that the port may be located at Ramayapatnam if it is not feasible at Dugarajapatnam.

Accordingly, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced at a meeting in Ongole recently that the state will construct the port at Ramayapatnam. He said that as large chunk of government land is available in the district, his government will cooperate with the industrialist and make the Prakasam district develop in a few years.

The government has ordered the preparation for the detailed project report for the port by an agency and paid Rs 5 crore already and asked the officials to survey the land for the port.

As the state proved its commitment to construct the port, the Indonesian paper industry giant, Asia Pulp and Paper came forward to setup a paper industry at Gudluru mandal, near Ramayapatnam.

According to sources in the state secretariat, the new paper industry, Andhra Papers Excellence, said to source subabul from the local farmers along with importing the wood from other countries. The company asked the government to allocate two berths for its exclusive usage.

Recently, representatives from the Jindal Steel and Power company visited Ramayapatnam and urged the government to allocate two berths for their use and conducted a survey in the neighbouring villages. They put forth a proposal to the APIIC officials to see if they can allocate 3,000 acres of land to setup a steel plant at about 3 kilometres from the port.

They said that a formal requisition along with the request for land allocation and increase of berths at Ramayapatnam will be sent by December end, after receiving the reply from the APIIC and other departments concerned.

Meanwhile, the management of the mega food park at Martur, has sought permission to expand it to an Agri Processing SEZ. The officials revealed that a public sector petroleum unit has already approached the government requesting 1000-acre land for establishing a refinery. They said that the state government is proposing to the Railways department to survey a railway line from Donakonda to Ramayapatnam.

ML Narasimha Rao, zonal manager of APIIC, said that the announcement of Ramayapatnam port has brightened the prospects of industries coming up in the district. He said that the works in NIMZ at Kanigiri and industrial park at Donakonda also would be speeded up due to Ramayapatnam port. He announced that the plots in the recently announced MSME parks and SEZs in the district are fast filling up.