Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy reiterated the government’s commitment of changing the landscape of north coastal Andhra and ensuring tangible balanced regional development.

The Chief Minister emphasised on balanced regional development addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for the Rs 4362 crore Mulapeta Port that would provide direct and indirect employment to 25,000 people. The new port would play a key role in handling exports and imports from other states including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

He also laid foundation stones for the Rs 360 crore fishing harbour at Budagatlapalem at Etcherla mandal, Rs. 176.35crore Vamsadhara Lift Irrigation Project that would take water to Hiramandalam reservoir from Gotta Barrage and the Rs 300 crore Mahendratanaya offshore Reservoir Project works.

The Chief Minister said that the Mulapeta Port and other developmental works would change the face of the Srikakulam district transforming the local villages into cities like Mumbai and Chennai over a period of time.

Regretting that the North Andhra region remained backward for several decades despite the area being rich with the waters of the Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers, he said that the Mulapeta Port, which is expected to be completed in two years, would encourage growth of ancillary industries in the surrounding areas and would provide employment to the local youth, he said.

The Mulapeta Port, being built in an area of 1250 acres with an annual capacity of 23.5 million tonnes, will have four loading and unloading berths to handle exports and imports of coal, multipurpose containers and the general cargo. In the coming days, its handling capacity would reach 100 million tonnes, he hoped.

The Rs 15 crore Manchineellapeta fish land centre would be upgraded as a fishing harbour soon, he said, adding that the fishing harbours in the district would encourage deep sea fishing and prevent migration of fishermen to other parts of the country.