Hyderabad: BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) on Wednesday urged the Centre to expedite the revival of the Adilabad CCI plant after meeting Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in New Delhi.
The delegation included former minister Jogu Ramanna, Rajya Sabha MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra and members of the CCI Sadhana Samithi. They submitted a representation seeking the reopening of the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) factory at Adilabad.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, KTR said the factory, established in the 1980s, had generated direct and indirect employment for nearly 6,000 people. He claimed the plant had limestone reserves to support operations for the next 100 years. He also said it had an annual production capacity of four lakh metric tonnes.
Further, KTR recalled that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign that the BJP would reopen the plant if it came to power. He also claimed Union Minister of State Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had made a similar assurance.
Adilabad CCI plant revival needs mining lease extension
KTR said Kumaraswamy appreciated the efforts of the CCI Sadhana Samithi and expressed support for reviving the factory. According to KTR, the Union Minister said the project required an investment of about ₹2,000 crore. He also said extending the mining lease was essential for the revival.
The BRS leader alleged that the State government had not extended the mining lease despite repeated requests over the past year. He further claimed the government had not clarified whether it would provide subsidies, GST exemptions or other incentives for the project.
Meanwhile, KTR thanked Kumaraswamy for responding positively to the delegation’s request. He said the previous BRS government had revived the Sirpur Paper Mills in Adilabad district. He claimed the move had created employment opportunities for thousands of people.
KTR urged the Congress government to immediately extend the mining lease and announce a support package for the proposed investment. He also called on the Centre to honour its commitment to revive the Adilabad CCI plant. He claimed the project would generate jobs for thousands of people.