KTR Meets Kumaraswamy, Seeks Reopening of CCI Plant in Adilabad
KTR said the Union Minister made it clear that the Central Government is positively inclined towards reviving the Adilabad CCI plant
Hyderabad: Demanding the immediate reopening of the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) plant at Adilabad, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR), along with senior party leaders, met Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy in New Delhi.
Following the meeting, KTR said the Union Minister made it clear that the Central Government is positively inclined towards reviving the Adilabad CCI plant. However, he emphasised that what is now required is the support, commitment and proactive participation of the Telangana Congress Government.
According to a press statement, KTR demanded that the Congress Government immediately announce what proposals it has submitted to the Centre and how much it is willing to invest for the revival of the CCI plant. He asserted that the BRS will continue its agitation until the Adilabad CCI is reopened, as the plant is a major source of employment for thousands in the backward region.
A delegation comprising former Minister Jogu Ramanna, BRS Rajya Sabha Floor Leader Vaddiraju Ravichandra and members of the CCI Sadhana Samithi submitted a memorandum to Kumaraswamy.
During the nearly 30-minute meeting, they held detailed discussions on the prospects for reviving the plant and the hurdles delaying the process. Explaining the significance of the plant, KTR and the delegation informed the Union Minister that the Adilabad CCI plant, established in the 1980s, once provided direct and indirect employment to nearly 6,000 people and served as the economic backbone of the region.
They highlighted that the area possesses limestone reserves sufficient for nearly 100 years and that the plant, with a production capacity of 400,000 metric tonnes, has every potential to operate successfully once revived.
The delegation also recalled that during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and then Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had personally assured the people that the CCI plant would be reopened. Instead, they expressed anguish that the plant is now being dismantled and sold as scrap.
KTR stated that Union Minister Kumaraswamy responded positively to the delegation's request and appreciated the efforts of the CCI Sadhana Samithi. The Minister assured them that the Central Government is keen to revive the plant and would make sincere efforts in that direction.
He noted that the plant has 2,300 acres of land, including 770 acres of freehold land belonging to the company and over 1,500 acres of leased land. The Minister expressed the view that establishing a modern cement plant with an investment of around Rs 2,000 crore would be an ideal solution, the release said.