HYDERABAD: Four days after the Union government had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that establishment of an integrated steel plant at Bayyaram in Khammam district would not be financially viable, the state government on Sunday constituted a committee to examine the ways of setting up the plant at the same place.
The committee has officials from the Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (TSMDC), Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and the departments of energy, mines and geology. It will prepare an action plan to establish the plant and submit it to the state government in a month. The report will be submitted to the Centre later. In case the Centre does not come forward to set up the plant even after the report, the state government will put in efforts to set up the plant.
“Besides examining the availability of land, water, coal, power. iron ore and other resources required for the plant, the committee will suggest ways for establishing the plant. After it submits its report in a month’s time, the state government will take steps to set up the plant,” industries minister KT Rama Rao said.
KTR, along with energy minister G Jagadish Reddy, held a joint meeting with officials of SCCL, TSMDC, and energy and mines departments on the Bayyaram steel plant issue. At the meeting, the minister recalled that as per the AP State Reorganisation Act 2014, Telangana was assured of a steel plant at Bayyaram. “Though there are a lot of possibilities for setting up a steel plant at Bayyaram, the Central government is not responding positively,” he felt.
Making it clear that the State government was firm on setting up a steel plant at Bayyaram even if the Centre did not come forward to keep its promise, KTR recalled that the state government had been pursuing the matter with the Union government for the past four years and made it clear that it would continue its efforts in to get the plant.
“The state government has approached the Union government many times seeking setting up of a steel plant at Bayyaram. We will relentlessly pursue it with the Union government at all levels Our government is committed to the Bayyaram steel plant with or without the support of Government of India,” KTR declared. Principal secretary (IT & industries) Jayesh Ranjan and senior officials from SCCL, TSMDC, and energy, mines and geology departments were present.