HYDERABAD: A BRS delegation, led by its working president KT Rama Rao, called on Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy in Delhi on Tuesday and requested him to reopen the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) plant at Adilabad.
Noting that the plant had 2,300 acres of land, including 770 acres of freehold land belonging to the company and over 1,500 acres of leased land, the Union Minister expressed the view that establishing a modern cement plant with an investment of around Rs 2,000 crore would be an ideal solution.
Later speaking to reporters, Rama Rao said that though the Centre was positive and inclined to reopen the Adilabad plant, it requires the permissions and support of the state government. He demanded that the state government announce its proposals for reopening of the plant.
The BRS leader said the Union Minister informed the delegation that the state government failed to respond, avoided submitting the required proposals and also did not come forward to extend the mining lease, thereby delaying the revival process.
The delegation informed the Union minister that the Adilabad CCI plant, established in the 1980s, once provided direct and indirect employment to nearly 6,000 people and served as the economic backbone of the region. The plant had a production capacity of four lakh tonnes, it added.
Rama Rao said that Union Minister Kumaraswamy responded positively to the delegation’s request and appreciated the efforts of the CCI Sadhana Samithi.