Jagan Alleges Ramayapatnam Port Privatization Scam Targets State Interests

YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly criticized the Andhra Pradesh coalition government over the proposed handling of the Ramayapatnam Port project. In a social media post, he alleged that the government was trying to transfer the strategically important port to private players in a move that could cause a major financial loss to the state.

Jagan claimed that the Ramayapatnam Port project, being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 4929 crore, was allegedly being offered for only Rs 1500 crore as an upfront payment. He argued that such a decision would burden the state with thousands of crores in liabilities while benefiting private interests. He questioned the economic logic behind the proposal and accused the ruling leadership of promoting a deal that would not serve public interest.

Highlighting the importance of the project, Jagan said his government had treated ports as key drivers of Andhra Pradesh’s economic growth. He stated that significant progress had been achieved during his tenure in the development of Ramayapatnam, Machilipatnam and Mulapeta ports. According to him, land acquisition, statutory approvals, financial arrangements and EPC contracts for these projects had already been completed before June 2024.

The former Chief Minister also pointed to several major industrial projects that, according to him, depend on the development of Ramayapatnam Port. He said BPCL’s proposed greenfield refinery and petrochemical complex, involving an investment of more than Rs 1 lakh crore, would rely on the port for crude oil imports.

He further stated that the proposed large scale manufacturing facility planned by Indosol Solar would require the port for importing raw materials and exporting finished solar modules. In addition, he noted that JSW Steel was developing two berths at the port to support imports of raw materials required for its steel plant in YSR Kadapa district.

Jagan maintained that these projects have the potential to generate large scale employment and increase state revenue through industrial growth. He alleged that any move to privatize the port at a lower valuation would weaken these long term benefits and result in significant losses to the public exchequer.

The Andhra Pradesh government has not responded to these allegations in the statement shared by Jagan. The remarks reflect the continuing political disagreement between the ruling coalition and the opposition over major infrastructure projects in the state.