AP Assembly passed Machilipatnam Area Dev Authority Bill: Min

Machilipatnam: Andhra Pradesh Minister Kollu Ravindra today said that the state Assembly has yesterday passed the Machilipatnam Area Development Authority (MADA) Bill.

Ravindra, Minister for Excise and BC Welfare, told reporters that the Bill was introduced in the Assembly yesterday itself and passed.

The state government plans to set up a Machilipatnam Area Development Authority (MADA) to prepare development plan for the city. It was approved in the state cabinet and then the bill was moved yesterday (in the Assembly), he said.

The Minister said MADA was very useful for all round development of Machilipatnam including the proposed Machilipatnam Deep Sea Port and port-based industries.

“The state government will not acquire land without the consent of farmers. The government will not take land of farmers without their consent. But the government will take lands for Machilipatnam port and port-based industries with the consent of farmers on land pooling basis and not land acquisition,” he said.

Ravindra further informed that Rs 32 crore was sanctioned in ‘Amrutha Scheme’ for infrastructure development of Machilipatnam Municipal Corporation and the state government sanctioned Rs 20 crore for drinking water pipeline extension.

City mayor M Baba Prasad and other TDP leaders were present along with the Minister.