Rajya Sabha MP Sana Satish Babu urged the Centre to ensure Andhra Pradesh secures a larger share under the Samudra Manthan initiative, highlighting the state's KG Basin, ports and offshore energy potential.
New Delhi: TDP Rajya Sabha Member Sana Satish Babu has urged the Centre to ensure Andhra Pradesh receives a greater share of opportunities under the Samudra Manthan: A Landmark Initiative for Offshore Exploration and Viksit Bharat, highlighting the state's strategic importance in India's offshore energy sector.
Participating in the Consultative Committee Meeting of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas held in New Delhi on Monday under the chairmanship of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the MP welcomed the Union Government's ambitious offshore exploration programme.
Congratulating the Ministry for launching the initiative, Sana Satish Babu pointed out that the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin, one of India's most promising offshore hydrocarbon regions, is located off the Andhra Pradesh coast and urged the Centre to ensure the state derives maximum benefits from future exploration and development.
During the meeting, the Rajya Sabha MP submitted a series of proposals aimed at positioning Andhra Pradesh as the country's offshore energy hub.
He suggested the establishment of an Oil and Gas Manufacturing Zone in Andhra Pradesh by leveraging the state's ports, industrial ecosystem and skilled workforce.
He also proposed setting up an Offshore Skill Development and Training Centre in coastal Andhra Pradesh to equip local youth with specialised skills while enabling MSMEs to participate in the offshore energy supply chain.
Among his recommendations, Sana Satish Babu sought the allocation of a fixed share of newly discovered deepwater wells in the KG Basin, citing the region's strategic significance and abundant hydrocarbon reserves.
The MP further recommended the creation of a Common Offshore Infrastructure Hub at Kakinada or Visakhapatnam to support processing, evacuation and logistics for offshore discoveries.
He also stressed the need to ensure priority employment opportunities for local youth from coastal Andhra Pradesh under the Samudra Manthan initiative.
Highlighting the state's strengths, Sana Satish Babu said Andhra Pradesh's 974-km coastline, resource-rich KG Basin, world-class ports and strong industrial ecosystem make it ideally suited to become India's offshore energy hub.
He expressed confidence that the Samudra Manthan initiative would not only strengthen Andhra Pradesh's economy but also contribute significantly to India's energy security, industrial development and employment generation.
