Hyderabad: AP government has decided to make maximum benefit of the Central government’s Sagarmala project. The state is ahead in proposing a number of projects to be taken up under Sagarmala. High level meetings were held on Friday at AP secretariat on Sagarmala programme and the national Perspective Plan (NPP) for comprehensive development of coast line and the maritime sector.
The meetings were attended by about 60 top officials from the Centre and state governments including AP Chief Secretary S.P. Tucker and several industrialists. The meetings were held on the directions of the Centre to get inputs relevant to the AP state. It is learnt that the AP government has proposed as many as 36 projects to be taken up under Sagarmala project. The concept of Coastal Economic Regions (CER) is being introduced under Sagarmala and it will be the focal point for the economic development of India’s coastline.
AP, with India’s second longest coastline of 974 km comprising 1 major and 4 operational non-major ports, has the opportunity to create international gateways with the rest of the world. It has abundant natural resources of limestone, bauxite, marine products, etc. and is strategically located with respect to other ASEAN economies. However, the current contribution of AP’s manufacturing sector in the GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) is 10% as compared to the national average of 15% signaling untapped potential. Along with this, there is skewness in the industrialisation in different districts.Visakhapatnam’s industrial sector contributes 20% to the GSDP; Anantapur contributes 12%while Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram contribute a mere 3%. AP has proposed several projects covering 9 coastal districts.
