New Delhi, February 11 Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the fishing harbor project at Kothapatnam in Andhra Pradesh will be completed by the end of 2027, with an estimated cost of nearly Rs 442 crore.
Responding to supplementary questions during Question Hour, Singh said that the Department of Fisheries had approved the proposal of the Andhra Pradesh government for the construction of a fishing harbor at Kothapatnam in the Prakasam district at a cost of Rs 364 crore in October 2022. The central share was Rs 80 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
The minister said that 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 this project.
Singh said that the state government has informed that the project cost has increased to Rs 441.88 crore due to delays, and the project is expected to be completed by December 2027.
He asserted that the current Andhra Pradesh government should not be blamed.
The minister highlighted that India's fish production and exports have risen significantly during the last 11 years under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
In a written reply, the minister provided detailed information about the fish harbor project at Kothapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
He said that the Department of Fisheries released a central share of Rs 40 crore to the state government for this project during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years.
The state government reported that the work agreement was concluded and work awarded to a contractor in October 2022.
"However, in April 2025, the contract was cancelled by the state government due to less than 25 per cent progress of work. The state government has not reported any physical progress or fund utilization in respect of this fishing harbor project," Singh said.
Further, he said that the state government has reported that the fishing harbor project cost has been revised upwards to Rs 441.88 crore.
"The revised proposal is being processed for issuance of a revised administrative approval" by the state government, the minister said.
"The Government of Andhra Pradesh has reported the timeline for completion of the Kothapatnam Fishing Harbour project as December 31, 2027," Singh said.
In addition, the Centre has approved eight fishing harbors and seven fish landing center projects at a cost of Rs 2,672.40 crore for Andhra Pradesh under the Blue Revolution Scheme, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund, and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.