ONGOLE: IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh laid the foundation stone for the first of 500 Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plants by Reliance New Energy in Divakarapalli village of Kanigiri constituency on Wednesday. This initiative aligns with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s P4 policy, aimed at eradicating poverty by promoting clean energy and sustainable farming.
Reliance will set up 50 CBG plants in the Kanigiri region, converting waste crop fields into fertile land with organic manure. The plants will use Napier grass to generate biogas, offering farmers 15,000 per acre for government land and Rs 31,000 per acre for private land, along with a fixed price for cultivated grass. Once operational, the 500 plants, which are slated to be established in the State, will produce 1.1 million MT of organic fertilizer annually, creating jobs for rural youth.
Lokesh announced that Reliance will invest Rs 65,000 crore, creating 2.5 lakh jobs. The project will utilise five lakh acres of barren land across Prakasam, Anantapur, Chittoor, and Kadapa districts, making them productive. He emphasised fulfilling his promise to the Prakasam district by launching the first plant in Kanigiri.
Acknowledging the district’s support for the TDP, he recalled its role in securing four seats in 2019 despite challenges and ten seats in 2024. His Yuvagalam Padayatra deepened his understanding of the people’s struggles, he said, criticising the previous government for blocking a major paper mill project that could have benefited Prakasam.
Recalling a recent interview in Delhi, Lokesh highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s advantage over cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru, crediting Chandrababu Naidu as the State’s biggest investment magnet. The State has secured Rs 8 lakh crore in commitments, expected to generate 20 lakh jobs over five years, with major companies like Reliance, NTPC, and TCS eager to invest, he reaffirmed.
He announced plans to return to Kanigiri for the IIIT foundation ceremony and provided updates on key infrastructure projects. The Kanigiri Railway project will receive necessary funding, with construction starting in August. Efforts are also underway to complete the Velugonda Reservoir project to provide irrigation water to all farmlands, the HRD minister emphasised.
He also lauded MLA Ugra Narasimha Reddy for his role in job creation and preventing migration from the region.
Ministers Gottipati Ravi Kumar and Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Chief Secretary K Vijayanand, MLA Dr Ugra Narasimha Reddy, and Prakasam Collector Tamim Ansariya addressed the gathering. The event was attended by TRANSCO JMD Keerthi Chekuri, several MLAs, MLCs, and Reliance executives.