Hopes still alive on Kadapa steel plant as govt to lay foundation soon

Kadapa: Again hopes were reviewed after state government officially announced the date related to laying the foundation for the establishment of AP High-Grade Steel Corporation Steel Plant by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on 26th January 2020 in the district. The steel unit is proposed to be constructed at Sunnapuralla palle village in Jammalamadugu mandal.

According to the sources a China-based multinational company which has come forward to construct steel plant with the partnership of state government made Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as the administration is prepared to allocate 3,600 acres of land as per the directive of government.

Despite there are several places witnessing proposed unit in Jammalamadugu mandal but the administration has selected Sunnapuralla Palle village as there was vast government land is available between Sunnapuralla palle and Peddanduluru villages and also easy to supply water from Mylavaram reservoir, rail track, and sufficient iron ore is available within the district and also Anantha pur.

This is the fourth time state government initiated efforts for constructing steel plant since 2007. Earlier former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy laid the foundation for Brahmani Steel as joint venture of state government, Karnataka State MLC and liquor baron Gali Janardhan Reddy on 10th June 2007.

The government has allotted total 15,000 acres in Ambavaram, Bommepalli, Vemagunta Palle, Gattupalli, Chidimichinthala for both steel plant and air port. The project was aimed to complete within 10 years by investing Rs20,000 acres providing direct and indirect employment to 1.25lakh people in the district. Government has issued GO for utilization of 2tmcft of water from Mylavaram reservoir for the purpose.

However, after death of Rajasekhar Reddy, the project was stopped following cancellation of water and lands during the regimes of chief ministers like Rosaiah, N.Kirankumar Reddy due to political reasons. After the arrest of Gali Janardhan Reddy in 2018 Enforcement and Directorate has seized the entire machinery in Brahmani steels following it was de functioned.

Later BJP lead NDA government which has emerged to power in 2014 elections planned to took up the project according to the bifurcation Act and conducted survey by a Delhi based company called MECON advisory organization over the feasibility but dropped in the middle in the 1st week of January 2018 In the first week of January 2018 but dropped in the middle due to political gap widened between TDP BJP. Two months before 2019 general elections former chief minister N.Chandra Babu Naidu laid the foundation stone for construction of Rayala Seema Steel plant in A.Kambaladinne village of Jammalamadugu mandal by allocating 2,000 acres for the purpose. After TDP lost the power the proposal constructing steel plant detained.

Now, this is the turn of YSR Congress government willing to construct AP High-Grade Steel Corporation Steel Plant as YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced in the public meeting during his maiden visit as a chief minister to Jammalamadugu on 8th July.