AP eyeing Sagaramala pilot project.

As the Prime Minister is very keen on reviving the Sagaramala project and has convened a review meeting later this month, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is focussed on getting the pilot project to the State.

The project, originally conceived during the Vajapayee government but later shelved by the UPA government, envisages maritime development zones around major ports along the coast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his intention to revive the project soon after he assumed charge in June.

Evacuation of cargo from the ports, both by road and rail, is a major challenge and is proving to be a handicap for the development of Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram and Kakinada ports, said MT Krishna Babu, Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust. The three ports are part of the proposed Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Industrial Region.

HBL