The war of words between Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy and TDP leader and former Minister for Agriculture Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy has intensified with the reported halting of the container terminal operations at the Krishnapatnam Port in their Sarvepalli constituency becoming the bone of contention.
After the TDP leader, who led an all-party delegation to the port on Thursday, charged that the operations had been stopped in the container terminal and demanded its revival, the Minister insisted that the operations were very much in place, adding that he would be the first to raise his voice if such a thing happened.
Mr. Chandramohan Reddy, accompanied by leaders of the BJP, the Congress, the CPI, the CPI(M) and the Jana Sena, also staged a demonstration in front of the port, giving a 15-day ultimatum for resumption of operations.
Mr. Govardhan Reddy was quick to convene a media conference on Friday to announce that the next vessel would land at the port within 10 days.
The TDP leader pointed to an email conversation of the company that reportedly mentioned about shifting the container operations to Ennore and Kattupalli ports in Tamil Nadu by January 31, and called it a “death knell” for employment opportunities in Nellore district. He even mentioned that there was no vessel arrival into the Krishnapatnam Port as per the schedule.
“With the container traffic shifted out, the port will henceforth deal with coal and iron ore, considered ‘dirty cargo’ in the port jargon,” Mr. Chandramohan Reddy said.
Mr. Govardhan Reddy said the port would witness the arrival of a vessel in the next 10 days, and appealed to the Opposition to “stop slinging mud” for its own vested interests. He said the port would be able to handle sizeable traffic with the setting up of more industrial units in the adjoining SEZ.
