AP: Site selection for new port by August 31

Hyderabad: The Union ministry of shipping will finalise the site for the second seaport in the state by August 31. This was stated by the Prime Minister's Office in a press communique in Delhi on Friday. The Centre proposed a second major seaport in the state besides the existing Visakhapatnam port. The state government proposed three places for the new port: Visakhapatnam, Ramayapatnam and Duggirajapatnam. The Centre will select one of the three. The PMO said that the work had begun on the new major port in Andhra Pradesh.

A technical committee had visited three sites to identify a suitable location for the major port in Andhra Pradesh and submitted its report. The ministry of shipping will finalise the site by August 31. A note will be put up before the Union cabinet by September 30 seeking ‘inprinciple’ approval for the project. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be formed to implement the project with 26 per cent equity from the state government and 74 per cent from the central government. The SPV will then bid out the project on a PPP basis.

The shipping ministry would constitute a project steering group with the secretary in the shipping ministry as its chairman and the secretaries of economic affairs and planning or their representatives as members to periodically oversee the progress on establishment of the port including finalising the structure of the SPV, monitoring the bidding process, preparation of documents and award of concessions, the PMO added.

The Union ministry of shipping will finalise the site for the second seaport in the state by August 31.

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