Hyderabad, June 29: The state government has decided to build four new ports, one each in Bhavanapadu and Kalingapatnam in Srikakulam district, Bhimili in Visakhapatnam and Narsapur in West Godavari district. The Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, on Tuesday asked the infrastructure and investment officials to build these ports on fast track.
The state will follow the bid process for transparency and the Chief Minister said a strict no to the government-to-government model which some entrepreneurs had exploited to avoid bidding during the YSR regime. The Chief Minister, however, put on hold the controversial issue of trimming the exclusive zones gifted to existing private port operators running into hundreds of kilometers. He asked the officials to take up the greenfield ports under the proposed land policy which envisaged 150 acres per berth.
Sources told this newspaper that the department would first take up Bhavanapadu which is the most viable among the four and is already in demand. Several infrastructure companies had eyed the location. The department is likely to go in for bid process in another three to four months. There are, however, doubts over the proposed ports in Bhimili and Narsapur where availability of land is in doubt. The government may find it next to impossible to acquire highly fertile lands, sources said adding that there is no captive cargo. The Chief Minister also wanted the officials to speed the Machilipatnam port works.