Panel to look into port land allotment

The Andhra Pradesh government is to constitute a committee to allot port lands to industrialists.

Nearly 60 Industrialists from various sectors have applied to port authorities evincing interest in setting up their units on port lands. They would need nearly 400 acres of land. But, the port can offer only 100 acres.

"We had urged the government to set up a committee for allotting the lands as the demand far exceeds the supply,'' said port director N Sridhar. He said that the government would soon constitute the committee.

Two exporters "� Ramalingeswara Rice Exporters and Continental Ware Housing Company "� have sought 30 acres of land each for establishing food parks by creating infrastructure facilities, which would directly connect to steel barges in the sea. Besides, granite producers too have sought land to establish their units.

The Kakinada anchorage port handled 28 lakh tonne of cargo in the year 2007-08 and earned revenues of Rs 14.30 crore. This year, the port authorities have set a target of Rs 50 lakh tonne of cargo, which would bring in Rs 20 crore revenues.

The port is seeing an increase in cargo like rice, urea, cement.

Sridhar said rice exports from the port was likely to increase in future as there was a lot of demand for rice in South African countries and exporters preferred Kakinada port.