Andhra Pradesh fishing harbour cost revised to Rs 442 crore

The Centre informed the Rajya Sabha that the delayed Kothapatnam fishing harbour project in Andhra Pradesh will be completed by December 2027 at a revised cost of Rs 441.88 crore, after the earlier contract was cancelled due to slow progress

New Delhi: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the fishing harbour project at Kothapatnam in Andhra Pradesh will be completed by the end of 2027 at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 442 crore.

Replying to supplementary questions during Question Hour, Singh said the Department of Fisheries had approved the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposal in October 2022 for the construction of the harbour in Prakasam district at a cost of Rs 364 crore. Of this, the Centre’s share was Rs 80 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

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The minister said the contract was cancelled in April 2025 by the state government due to less than 25 per cent progress of work. He added that the department had already released Rs 40 crore for the project.

Singh said the state government had informed that the project cost had increased to Rs 441.88 crore because of delays and that it is expected to be completed by December 2027. He asserted that the current Andhra Pradesh government should not be blamed for the delay.

Highlighting sectoral growth, the minister said India’s fish production and exports have risen significantly over the last 11 years under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

In a written reply, Singh provided detailed information on the project, stating that the central share of Rs 40 crore was released during the 2022–23 and 2023–24 financial years. The work agreement was concluded and awarded to a contractor in October 2022.

However, in April 2025, the contract was cancelled due to slow progress, and the state government has not reported any physical progress or fund utilisation, he said.

The revised proposal, pegging the cost at Rs 441.88 crore, is being processed for fresh administrative approval by the state government. The completion deadline has been fixed as December 31, 2027.

In addition, the Centre has approved eight fishing harbours and seven fish landing centre projects for Andhra Pradesh at a cost of Rs 2,672.40 crore under the Blue Revolution Scheme, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund, and PMMSY.