Andhra Pradesh, with a coastline of 974 km, is fast-tracking its port (non-major port) development. The work on the upcoming four new ports in Andhra Pradesh involving an investment of about Rs 120 billion is in full swing, according to a senior official of the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB). Ravindranath Reddy, Deputy CEO, APMB, expects the four new ports of Ramayapatnam, Bhavanapadu, Kakinada Gateway port and Machilipatnam to be operational by the end of 2024. This will give a major boost to the social and economic development of the state, The construction of Ramayapatnam port is going on at a brisk pace after the foundation stone was laid by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in September. The financial closure for Machilipatnam port has almost been completed while for Bhavanapadu port, the land acquisition and the financial closure are in the final stages, the official said. Reddy said that to spur speedy economic development, except for Kakinada Gateway Port, the remaining three ports are being taken by the State government itself. After the bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh is left with coastline and agriculture, and hence these are focus areas. These ports are being developed with a huge land complex so that industrial investment can be attracted to the State in view of the low cost of water transport in relation to other modes, he added. After the completion of the four upcoming ports, Andhra Pradesh will have seven ports including Gangavaram, Kakinada and Krishnapatnam. The State has plans to develop a port or fishing harbour every 50 km along its coast to generate employment as well as spur economic growth. In addition, nine state-of-the-art fishing harbours are being developed across the state including Uppada, Visakhapatnam, Odarevu, and Kothapatnam. These are highly advanced jetties cost Rs 3.5 billion each. Also Read Nitin Gadkari dedicates seven Rs 24.44 bn National Highway projects PM unveils Nagpur's Maharashtra Samriddhi Mahamarg