The port planned at Machilipatnam in the Krishna District is still at the paper stage and the implementation stage is yet to take off. In 2008 the foundation stone was laid by former Chief minister late Y S Rajashekar Reddy. Even three years after the foundation stone was laid, no sign of progress has been visible yet. People who wanted the port to become realty formed an association on December 15, 2010. The association Bandar Port Sadhana Samithi (BPSS) is today one year old. As per history the port had played a key role in trade and commerce in the region during the 1st century A.D.

No headway has been made with regard to port works even after promises were made by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy after an all party meet with public representatives of Krishna district on August 17 and former chief minister K Rosaiah in this regard.  BPSS feels that the delay is purely due to government negligence and hence called for a total bandh in the surrounding areas of the town.

The project, estimated to cost Rs 1,590 Cr, was originally awarded to Maytas Infra Ltd-led consortium in April, 2008.  However, when the Maytas consortium failed to achieve financial closure for the project within the stipulated time, its members Sri Infrastructure Ltd and Sarat Chandra Co., declared that they were willing to exit from it. Following this, the state government had made a concession agreement with M/s. Machilipatnam Port Limited (MPL), Hyderabad, (consortium of M/s. Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd., and Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited and Associates/ Affiliates of Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd) and awarded the contract to them on June 6, 2010.