The Andhra Pradesh government is moving ahead with its plans to strengthen maritime infrastructure, with greenfield ports at Machilipatnam, Ramayapatnam, and Mulapeta nearing completion. Roads and Buildings Minister B C Janardhan Reddy informed the Legislative Council that the ports are expected to be ready by the end of this year, with operations likely to start six to nine months after completion. Scheduled completion dates are 24 April for Ramayapatnam, 30 November for Mulapeta, and 28 December for Machilipatnam. Additionally, a greenfield commercial port at Kona village in East Godavari is expected by 20 July.
The three ports are being developed under the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) model. The Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB) is providing land and funding rail and road connectivity, while the National Highways Authority of India is constructing road links to NH-16 for the Kakinada SEZ port. Land acquisition is also being facilitated to integrate the new ports with logistics corridors.
Currently, Andhra Pradesh’s major port at Visakhapatnam has a capacity of 141.6 million tonnes per annum (mn tpa). Non-major ports run under public–private partnerships include Gangavaram (64 mn tpa), Krishnapatnam (98 mn tpa), and Kakinada Deep Water Port (26 mn tpa). Smaller ports, including Kakinada Anchorage (5 mn tpa) and Ravva Port (2 mn tpa), will also benefit from land and connectivity support to ensure sustainable growth.
Beyond infrastructure, the state government is focusing on employment generation. The TDP-led NDA government has set a target of two million jobs by 2029, with 628,327 jobs created so far. This includes 16,350 teachers recruited via DSC notifications and around 6,000 police posts filled, along with youth employment promoted through skill development programs and investments. Although the unemployment allowance scheme is not currently active, it was announced as a contingency if targets are not met, and councillors raised the issue during the council session.
