Vadarevu and Nizampatnam Port & Industrial Corridor (VANPIC) project implementation is getting delayed for various reasons for the past couple of years. The general legal counsel of the emirate of Ras al Khaimah (RAK) has expressed serious concerns over the delays in the implementation of the Rs 16,800-crore ($3.02b) seaport project in Andhra Pradesh and urged the government to resolve the issues immediately. The RAK's general counsel wrote a letter to chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to this effect.

The seaport project VANPIC, is jointly being executed by RAK and businessman Nimmagadda Prasad, who was arrested by the CBI on May 15 in connection with a corruption investigation. The emirate of RAK had, in March 2008, partnered Nimmagadda Prasad's Matrix Enport to set up two seaports, an airport and a port-based industrial corridor, promising to create direct employment to 64,000 people and economy-wide employment opportunities to over 4 lakh people.

The RAK general legal counsel, in a letter to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy last Monday, has also pointed out that their recent attempts to seek appointments to meet him weren't successful due to the Legislative Assembly sessions and byelections in the state. This is the third time in the last year that RAK government representatives have aired concerns over their investments, Rs 845 crore so far, in the Andhra seaport project. The RAK emirate's ruler wrote to the Indian prime minister in August last year and the RAK CEO appealed to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister in April this year to save the project that has got mired in various snags.

Shooting off a letter to AP government by RAK general counsel at this juncture assumes significance in the backdrop of the speculation that the AP government is considering cancelling the approvals granted to the seaport project and also because the concerns are now being expressed by the RAK's general legal counsel. The letter as well can be considered as an indication on the ground preparations by the RAK government to take it up legally at the highest levels to protect their investment interests.