'Only 14,000 acres will be pooled for Masula port'.

Only 14,000 acres will be pooled for the construction of the Machilipatnam seaport, Machilipatnam MP Konakalla Narayana Rao has said.

Addressing the media recently, Mr. Narayana Rao said that land owners would be offered an Amaravati-type package.

He said the newly formed Machilipatnam Urban Development Authority (MADA) would have jurisdiction over 1,05,000 acres.

He recalled that the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government had issued a GO for constructing the port in approximately 5,325 acres, but the project did not take off as it was mired in problems related to land acquisition.

The opposition parties did not allow land acquisition to take place and even tried to take the port away to Gogileru, much against the wishes of the people of Machilipatnam, he said.

Mr. Umamaheswara Rao exuded confidence that the project would become a reality soon.

He further said that the birth anniversary of renowned engineer and former Union Minister K.L. Rao would be celebrated as a State function on July 15.

THE HINDU