Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that the petrochemical complex coming up in the Kakinada special economic zone (KSEZ) and also a new port would transform the port town into a major industrial centre, providing jobs on a large scale.
He was speaking in the Janmabhoomi Government programme at the JNTU-Kakinada here on Friday after laying the foundation stone for the new greenfield port by the GMR Group and also after an MoU was signed for setting up a refinery with a capacity of 5.70 million tonnes a year, scalable up to 9.50 MMTPA.
Manufacturing complex
An agreement was also signed for setting up a crude-to-chemical manufacturing complex with a total investment of nearly ₹63,000 crore by the Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL). The Chief Ministet said the petrochem complex would generate 5,000 direct jobs and one lakh indirect ones.
The port was being set up by the GMR Group with an investment of ₹3,000 crore in East Godavari district near Kakinada in the KSEZ.
The Chief Minister said the petrochem complex and refinery should have been set up by the Centre, but “the NDA government headed by the BJP is not honouring the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
We are not deterred and the TDP Government will not allow development to suffer. If they do not do it, we will do it on own.”
Road expansion
Naidu said he had also kickstarted the expansion of the ADB road from Kakinada to Rajanagaram at a cost of ₹300 crore to improve connectivity to the Kakinada port and the port town. he also inaugurated the pipeline work of AP Gas Distribution Company (APGDC) to provide piped gas to households.
“These four projects will change the face of the port town,” he said.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to completing the mega irrigation project at Polavaram on the Godavari, “in spite of the non-cooperation from the Centre” and will ensure that both the Godavari districts and the entire State are benefited.
“It is my firm commitment to put East Godavari, the biggest district in the State, in the forefront on all fronts,” he added.