AP makes efforts to expedite execution of Kadapa Steel Plant: Gudivada

 Vijayawada: Industries and commerce minister Gudivada Amarnath stated that the state government was making all efforts to expedite the execution of the Kadapa Steel Plant.

In reply to queries on land acquisition for Kadapa Steel Plant during question hour in the AP Legislative Council here on Saturday, the minister asserted that the plant was coming up in two phases with its production capacity in the first phase at 10 lakh metric tonne and in the second phase at 20 lakh metric tonne at an estimated cost of Rs 8,800 crore with a provision to provide employment for 25,000 people.

PDF MLC Lakshmanana Rao asked whether Kadapa Steel Plant was being taken up by the state government or Steel Authority of India Limited or under public-private-partnership mode. Other members asked why SAIL was not given the responsibility to execute the Kadapa Steel Plant with 75 per cent of the jobs reserved for local people, while some members alleged discrimination in providing compensation for land acquisition for the plant.

The minister said that the steel plant would be executed by the JSW group adding they had offered compensation for land acquisition at the rate of Rs 7.5 lakh per acre for those who had proper records and 50 per cent of that amount to those who were yet to submit their records on ownership of the land and assured to offer the remaining amount once they submitted all documents related to the land.

He said that the state government had acquired 3,703.92 acres of land for the plant, of which 432.55 acres belonged to DKT land and 14.75 acres to government land. He further added that 488 farmers had received compensation for the land to the tune of Rs 42.03 crore, while an amount of Rs 5.38 crore was yet to be paid to 124 farmers.

With regard to investments made, MoUs entered, and employment opportunities generated in the state from 2014-19, the minister stated that 215 large projects were grounded with an investment of Rs 59,968.37 crore, generating employment for 1,48,482 people over a period of five years, and added that 1,739 MoUs were entered in three partnership summits held in 2016, 2017, and 2018. However, on investments made from June, 2019 to January, 2023, in the state, the minister said that 120 large industries were grounded with an investment of Rs 58,911.53 crore and employment for 79,226 people over a period of three-and-a-half years. In addition to that, 69 large industries with an investment of Rs 1.36 lakh crore and employment for 1.48 lakh people are under active implementation, he added.

At the recently held Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam, the minister said that 386 MoUs were signed with an investment of Rs 13.11 lakh crore and employment potential for 6.07 lakh people. He said that they were providing best-in-class policy instruments and fiscal incentives to attract investments and generate employment in the state.