Andhra Pradesh congenial for steel production, says Naidu

Andhra Pradesh will attract industrial investments of ₹2.40 lakh crore that will help generate employment to 80 lakh people, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said.

He was speaking after unveiling a pylon to lay stone for Jai Raj Ispat Limited’s steel plant near Guttapadu in Orvakal mandal on Thursday. Promising development of the district as an industrial hub, Mr. Naidu asserted that the government would develop Orvakal on the lines of Sri City in Tirupati.

Employment generation

The steel plant, coming up with an estimated outlay of ₹2,930 crore in 415 acres, would produce 1.70 million tonnes of steel in the first phase, providing direct and indirect employment to 3,200 people, he added.

Expressing confidence that industries would be established with an investment of ₹23,000 crore in the area, he said they would generate employment to 28,000 educated unemployed in the State. He said Andhra Pradesh was congenial for steel production.

In this context, he recalled the establishment of a mega seed park in 650 acres at Thangadancha in the district with the cooperation of Iowa University.

The State, which was battered by irrational bifurcation, would have developed manifold had the Centre extended its cooperation, Mr. Naidu said.

“Despite the Centre’s non-cooperation, development and welfare programmes are being implemented without losing confidence,” he said.

The airport being built at Orvakal would be completed by August this year, he said.

Inviting entrepreneurs to set up units at Orvakal, Mr. Naidu promised water for the units from the Muchumarri Lift Irrigation Scheme.

Scope for horticulture

He said cement factories would come up at Koligundla. The district was ideal of horticulture too, he added.

Kurnool district would regain its lost glory if it was developed industrially, Mr. Naidu said. Water was being supplied from the Handri-Neeva project to 1,500 minor irrigation channels by spending ₹570 crore, he added.

Later, addressing the media, Mr. Naidu said the steel plant works would be completed expeditiously. He later felicitated Jai Raj Ispat Limited MD S.K. Goenka.

Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishnamurthy; Ministers N. Amaranath Reddy and Bhuma Akhila Priya; Rajya Sabha member T.G. Venkatesh; A.P. Legislative Council Chairman N.Md. Farooq; MPs Butta Renuka and S.P.Y. Reddy; MLC K.E. Prabhakar, MLAs B.V. Jayanageswar Reddy, Mani Gandhi, and S.V. Mohan Reddy; district Collector S. Satyanarayana; Joint Collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh; and APIIC general manager Raghunath Reddy were present.