CM urged to Reopen CCI Factory

Now with the factory buildings in a dilapidated state, the machinery, bulldozers, JCBs and other heavy equipment are all rusting away.

ADILABAD : That political leader seldom keep up their pre-election promises is a known fact. One such unkept promise - made by the political leaders of all hues during the recent Assembly / LS elections in the district -- concerns the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) unit here. Though several leaders had promised to get the defunct factory reopened, they all seem to have forgotten about it after the elections.

According to sources, the factory was established in 1984, with the then Union Minister ND Tiwari inaugurating it.

It functioned smoothly for the next 14 years after which it was closed down for want of adequate funds from the government to run it. Employing a staff of 450 regular, 700 contract and 1,200 daily wage workers, it used to produce 1,200 tonnes of cement annually. In fact, it had even made a profit of about Rs 10 cr a year between 1992 and 1995.

Subsequently, in view of the public demand to reopen it, the Centre had sent a team of the Board For Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) thrice to study the possibility of reviving it. The team had submitted a report to the government stating that it was not only feasible to revive the factory but also to run it profitably as sufficient quantities of limestone and other raw materials was available in the district.

It had however said that for this to happen the government should pump in the adequate funds. But, inexplicably, the government had not acted upon the BIFR team’s report.

Now with the factory building(s) in a dilapidated state, the machinery, bulldozers, JCBs and other heavy equipment are all rusting away.

In this backdrop, the people of Adilabad town are looking to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to intervene in the matter and get the factory back on steam.

Erstwhile CCI workers union president Rajanna has meanwhile blamed the former CMs’ step-motherly attitude towards Telangana for the factory still being defunct.

Stating that the factory could provide jobs to thousands of people of the region if reopened, he has appealed to the CM to take necessary steps to do so.

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