TRS, CPI demand setting up of steel plant in Telangana

Warangal: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) district unit leaders have strongly opposed the reported decision of the State Government to allocate iron ore mines in Telangana region to the Vishakapatnam Steel Plant. The TRS leaders demanded that the State and Central governments to immediately withdraw the decision of allocating Bayyaram mines to VSP. The TRS district president T Ravinder Rao, MLAs M Bikshapathi, T Rajaiah and D Vinay Bhaskar demanded the State Government to utilise the mineral wealth of Telangana for the development of the region. The government should chalk-out plans in that direction instead of allocating the mines to VSP or any other plant outside Telangana, they said addressing a press conference here on Thursday. They suggested that the governments should come up with a plan to set up a steel factory in Khammam, Karimnagar or Warangal districts and provide employment to the local youth. The experts in the field consider Telangana region as a suitable place for setting up a steel factory as the above districts were rich with natural resources, water and transport facilities. The state government instead of developing the region has been seriously trying to divert the natural resources from the region to develop Andhra and Rayalaseema areas. The ruling party legislators and ministers from the district have to prevent the government from going ahead with its plans, said the TRS president Ravinder Rao. The Congress leaders of the region should meet the Chief Minister and Union Ministers and put pressure towards stalling the proposal immediately. Despite the strong separate Telangana movement, the Congress government dared to continue its discrimination towards the region, they said. "We will not sit quiet" the leaders asserted adding the TRS would launch a serious agitation to protect the interests of the people and secure them their due share in all the development. "If the government failed to stall the proposals allocating the iron mines to Vishakapatnam Steel Plant, the government would have to face the wrath of the people in the region" The TRS leaders warned. CPI opposes Bayyaram mines lease to VSP Communist Party of India (CPI) district secretary Takkallapalli Srinivas Rao said that the party would launch a massive agitation if Bayyaram mines are leased to Vishakapatnam Steel Plant. If Bayyaram mines located in the districts of Warangal and Khammam were leased against the local sentiments, he warned that his party activists would strongly oppose the move and they would stop the transportation of minerals. He was addressing the media in Hanamkonda on Thursday. He said that Government's proposal to allocate 2,500 hectares at Bayyaram in Khammam district, 2,500 hectares at Guduru mandal in the district and further 342 hectares at Bheemdevarapalli in Karimnagar district to Vishaka Steels is an insult to people of the Telangana region. He demanded immediate withdrawal of such a proposal. He made a demand to start a steel factory at Gundrathimadugu in Kuravi mandal in the district instead of diverting minerals to coastal Andhra. He said such a decision would also provide employment to the locals and noted that previously a survey was also carried out there for starting steel factory. He demanded an assurance by the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on establishing a steel plant. He urged the Chief Minister to announce starting of a steel factory in the backward Telangana region which would be welcomed by all Telangana people.