AP CM decides to cancel GO on Coastal Project after review

Hyderabad, Nov 8 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government has decided to drop the Coastal Corridor project in a bid to stem the ''controversy'' generated by vocal opposition from almost all political parties.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has decided to cancel the GO dated February 11, 2008 issued by the Infrastructure&Investment Department regarding the study to identify suitable infrastructure projects along the coastal corridor in consultation with the departments concerned.

''The Chief Minister has taken this decision in view of the opposition to the coastal corridor projects raised by some of the Opposition parties in their bid to politicise the issue and the misapprehension being created among the people of the coastal areas.

Under no circumstances, people should be left in confusion,'' the Chief Minister's Office here said in a statement today.

The InCAP (Investment Corporation of Andhra Pradesh) was asked to cancel the study or draft plan on the coastal corridor immediately.

The Chief Minister today reviewed the coastal corridor issue with the Ministers and Officials at Secretariat here.

The government has initially projected a series of infrastructure projects, including ports along the 1,000-odd km coastline from Ichapuram in the North off Orissa to Tada bordering Tamil Nadu, mostly under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

However, the acquisition of land both for infrastructure and SEZ had been the focal point of the opposition attack.

As the tirade increased, the government curtailed part of the project,limiting coastal projects between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada to exploit the gas find from the KG Basin.

As the Opposition did not relent, the government decided to drop the scheme.

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