KADAPA: Kadapa steel plant will usher in a new era in industrialisation and change the fate of Rayalaseema, the most backward region in the State, said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after laying the foundation stone for AP High-Grade Steels Limited (APHSL) at Sunnapurallapalle village in Jammalamadugu mandal of the district on Monday.
Addressing a public meeting on the occasion, the Chief Minister said as the son of the soil, he is happy to realise the long-cherished dream of the people of Kadapa. “I am happy and it will be an unforgettable moment in my life,” he said. Stating that his father and former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for the steel plant in Kadapa and initiated several other measures to promote industrial development in Rayalaseema, Jagan said the subsequent governments neglected the region after the demise of YSR.
Taking a dig at the previous TDP government, he said former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu forgot about Kadapa steel plant for four and a half years of his tenure. “Just six months before the general elections, Naidu took up the issue, which was nothing but cheating people. But my government, which is just six-month-old, has laid the foundation stone for the steel plant as promised, which is called sincerity. This is the difference between the YSRC government and the previous TDP regime,” he said.
Jagan said as a native of the region he is well aware of that fact that the backwardness of Rayalaseema could only be overcome with the development of irrigation and industrial sectors.
Hence, he actively pursued the matter and laid the foundation stone for the steel plant with a total investment of Rs 15,000 crore. “This is one step towards the development of the region. The steel plant with a capacity of 30 lakh tonnes production per annum will be a game-changer for the region. With our steely determination, construction of the plant will be completed in three years, which will provide direct and indirect employment to over 25,000 people,” he said.
The State government had signed a MoU with the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) for the supply of 5 million tonnes of iron ore per year to APHSL, he said and thanked the Centre, particularly Union Minister for Steel Dharmendra Pradhan for supporting the AP government’s initiative.
Explaining the steel production scenario in the country, the Chief Minister said it has a production capacity of 1.06 crore tonnes per annum as on 2018.
According to the national policy on steel, the country needs 3 crore tonnes of metal by 2030 to meet the demand. “Setting up of Kadapa steel plant with a production capacity of 30 lakh tonnes per annum is not only beneficial to Andhra Pradesh, but also the entire country,” he said.
Though the government does not need to establish industries on its own, YSRC came up with APHSL keeping in view the larger interests of people in Rayalaseema region.
Widening of canals at a cost of Rs 23,000 crore
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy says his government had decided to change the fate of all irrigation projects in Rayalaseema in the coming days so that the surplus water in Krishan river during the 40-50 flood days is effectively harnessed in those projects.
He announced to take up widening of these canals at an estimated cost of Rs 23,000 crore.