KUMARAMBHEEM: Fulfilling one of the long-standing promises of the TRS, Sirpur paper mill, which was closed in September 27, 2014, was finally reopened on Thursday in the presence of municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao and JK Group management. The JK Group has been entrusted with the responsibility to run the mill.Started by the Nizams of Hyderabad in 1938, the mill located at Kaghaznagar is one of the oldest paper mills in India and was considered to be the country’s largest manufacturers of pulp, paperboard and a variety of other papers.
It shut down in 2014 due to rising input costs, mainly raw materials. JK Paper has promised to protect direct jobs of 1,200 staff and workers, besides contract workers The company has also promised in its proposal to provide livelihoods to about 10,000 families through its expertise in the plantation of trees.The minister performed puja and opened the gates of the mill. Addressing a gathering, KTR said,” The paper mill was closed after the state government noticed irregularities in running the mill.
The state government took an initiative and put efforts to reopen the mill. It will provide direct and indirect employment to 3,000-4,000 workers.” He then interacted with workers and assured them that everyone would get jobs in a phased manner. Appealing to worker union leaders, he said:”Please do not indulge in politics and bring a bad name to the state. Industrialists are showing interest in the state because permissions are being accorded to them within 15 days through TS i-PASS. It’s a worker’s duty to save the factory by working hard”.
KTR added that the government was taking steps to revive other ailing factories like Bheema cement in Nalgonda, Bellarpur industry in Mulugu and Ramagundam fertiliser factory, in coordination with the union government.