Standoff over Krishnapatnam port container terminal escalates

The all-party delegation issued a 15-day ultimatum to the state government a day ago, demanding resumption of container terminal operations at the port. However, agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy dismissed the protests and accusations as “mere election-eve gimmicks.”

Addressing the media in Nellore, the minister asserted that efforts were on to restart the operations of the port. “A vessel will reach Krishnapatnam within the deadline set by the all-party delegation. Allegations that the container terminal is being shifted out of Nellore are absolutely baseless,” he stated.

The minister affirmed that the terminal will continue operations in Krishnapatnam port itself and additional facilities would be developed to handle increased container traffic. “If there is any move to shift the terminal to Ennore in Tamil Nadu, I will be the first to protest against it,” he said.

However, former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy alleged that the minister was telling lies. He reiterated that the terminal operations had halted last month.

He accused the state government of trying to shift the terminal to the Ennore Port in Tamil Nadu. He expressed concern that the closure could impact 10,000 jobs and lead to an annual loss of Rs 1000 crore to the government.