VIJAYAWADA: Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh has said that a road map for setting up of a steel factory in Kadapa district will be prepared after holding a meeting on December 27. Speaking to media-persons after participating in the review meeting organised by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on the Kadapa steel plant proposal in New Delhi on Thursday, Birender Singh said that the Task Force formed to study the feasibility of setting up of a steel factory in Kadapa district had already submitted its preliminary report a month ago. “However, we are expecting the final report in another month from the Task Force,’’ he said.
The Union minister said the meeting to be organised on December 27 will discuss in detail the kind of plant that is suitable for Kadapa district and what kind of contribution both the Centre and the State should make towards achieving the goal. “Based on this, we will prepare a road map.”
Union Minister for Science and Technology YS Chowdary exuded the confidence that good news will come before Sankranthi.
Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said that the Union Steel Minister and the officials concerned responded positively to the proposal. Since a commitment to establish a steel factory in Kadapa district was made in the 13th schedule of the AP State Reorganisation Act, he said that the delegation from the state appealed to the Centre to take measures for fulfilling the same without any delay.
Maintaining that the State government is ready to extend all facilities including land, water, electricity and transportation, he said that they also suggested to the Union Steel Minister that the expenditure for building 130-km railway line required for transportation of iron ore and coal from Krishnapatnam Port, should be borne equally by the Centre and the State. A high-level technical committee constituted by the Centre last year found that Kadapa steel plant proposal was not viable.