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At 27, Mallipudi Mangapathi Pallam Raju was the youngest member of the 9th Lok Sabha. Being the son of former Union Minister M.S. Sanjeevi Rao, he rose to become the Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) and Union Minister of State for Defence (2006-12) during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet.
Mr. Pallam Raju has also set a record by becoming the first parliamentarian from Andhra Pradesh to hold the office of the Ministry of Defence.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, the three-time MP from Kakinada Lok Sabha shares insight on what went wrong in the growth chart and the triangle battle being fought in Kakinada, a maritime trade centre and India’s hub for oil and natural gas reserves on the East Coast.
Now, the triangle fight is on the cards in Kakinada Lok Sabha. What are your prospects in the battle now that you are back in the fray after a decade?
In 1989, I was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from the Kakinada Lok Sabha constituency, which I have represented three times in Parliament. I did not contest in 2019. In the ongoing battle, my illustrious journey and association with the Kakinada Lok Sabha will be an advantage for me. My goodwill still appears to be intact among the voters, who are reminding my good work and telling me that they are happy that I am in the fray. It is good to hear such a response from the supporters and voters.
However, how much of that affection will be converted into votes remains to be seen. People are opining that the Congress will be the right government for the country and Andhra Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi’s recently concluded Bharat Jodo Yatra has also gained tremendous sympathy among the voters in Andhra Pradesh. It will also be an advantage for me in the fray.
What is your road map for the Kakinada Lok Sabha if you are voted for the fourth term?
It was my initiative to modernize the Yeleru irrigation system. It has been achieved. However, every successive government and the politicians (Chief Ministers) have worsened the issues plaguing the Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ). Nobody has attempted to find an amicable solution to the problems to fulfil the purpose for which the land had been acquired in the KSEZ. The entire Kakinada coast will see a remarkable change if the KSEZ is brought back on track. It will be pursued on a war footing basis for inclusive growth along the coast.
The hospitality sector has been neglected and it will be given a top priority to tap the tourism potential of the unique attractions such as Coringa mangroves and pilgrimage centres—Annavaram, Pithapuram and Samarlakota
The Kakinada coast has been in turmoil over the impact of the ongoing oil and natural gas exploration activities on the livelihood of fisherfolk and marine ecosystems. How do you react?
The fisherfolk have started complaining about the impact of oil and natural gas exploration activities on the marine ecosystem and fish catch, particularly after the latest find of DG-DWN 98/2 off the Kakinada coast in the Krishna-Godavari basin.
At present, compensation is being offered ad hoc, which is arguably not a permanent and scientific solution. It must be resolved comprehensively. I will try to help the fisherfolk get a scientific evaluation of the damage to their livelihoods due to oil and natural gas exploration. Serious efforts will also be made to restore the ecosystem if anything gets damaged.
Kakinada Lok Sabha constituency is the only segment in Andhra Pradesh with three ports. The Kakinada Anchorage port has been paralyzed in recent years. What do you think is the future of the anchorage port?
The Kakinada Anchorage port has indeed taken ill, impacting the livelihood of thousands of locals. The recent rulers have exploited the unions of the port workforce. However, the port’s affairs have completely been politicized rather than trying to utilize this facility for growth.
The Congress will revive the anchorage port. During my tenure, a fishing harbour was proposed at Kona. However, it is now being developed as a port serving the KSEZ.
Being a former Union Minister of State for Defence, does Kakinada hold the potential to be the Indian Navy’s future strategic defence post on the East Coast? In March, Kakinada also hosted an Indo-US bilateral amphibious defence exercise.
There was a proposal by the Indian Navy to set up an Amphibious Warfare Training Centre, for which a huge chunk of land had been gathered on the Kakinada beach when I was at the helm of affairs of the Ministry of Defence.
Later, the Eastern Naval Command set up some facilities and conducted trials on the site’s suitability for the centre. Now, I am not fully aware of the status of the project. It depends on the Indian Navy to pursue it further based on its future needs. Chaired by then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, I was in a defence talk. I stressed the need to set up the Indian Coast Guard Station in Kakinada as it is required here, given the scale of maritime trade and offshore activities. It has become a reality now. The idea of setting up a Sainik School was withdrawn for various reasons despite the availability of land on the Kakinada coast.
