Revoke Adani’s Bailadila mining contract, give to Bayyaram and VSP, says KTR
The BJP Government with its evil intentions to ensure losses for PSUs, was handing over the mining contract to Adani Group, he said.
Hyderabad: Demanding the Union government to abolish the Bailadila mining contract in Odisha awarded to the Adani Group, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao said the BJP Government was working against the interests of both the Telugu States.
If the BJP Government was really committed to saving public sector undertakings, the Bailadilla mining contract should be awarded to Bayyaram and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), he said.
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Interestingly, the BJP Government was saying that setting up steel plant at Bayyaram was not feasible, citing low grade iron ore quality. Towards this, the State Government had suggested laying a 160 km slurry pipeline from Bailadila to Bayyaram and had also agreed to bear 50 percent of the expenditure to lay the pipeline, the Minister said.
Similarly, VSP was about 600 km from Bailadila. While the BJP Government claimed that transportation of ore from Bailadila to Bayyaram and VSP was not technically feasible, how would transportation of ore to Adani Group’s plant at Mundra in Gujarat, which was 1800 km away, be feasible, he asked.
The BJP Government with its evil intentions to ensure losses for PSUs, was handing over the mining contract to Adani Group, he said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is handing over the Navratna PSUs to his two Ishtaratnas from Gujarat,” he said, adding that such moves were against the interests of both Telugu States.
If the mining contract was awarded to Bayyaram, it would lead to generating employment to local youth, besides revenue to the Telangana Government. Likewise, VSP would also get benefited, if it was awarded the mining contract, he said.
When there were SAIL, NMDC, TSMDC and APMDC, why did the BJP Government at the Centre hand over the mining contract to Adani Group, he asked.
“Socialisation of losses and privatization of profits. This was what Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has been repeatedly saying,” Rama Rao said at a press conference here on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, the BJP leaders, who lack basic understanding of the Union Government’s crooked plans, criticise the Telangana Government, he said. The State Government was committed to saving PSUs and already a team of senior officials was sent to Visakhapatnam to study the Expression of Interest floated by SAIL. Based on their reports, the State Government would take a final decision, he said.
Reiterating Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s priorities in safeguarding PSUs, the Minister said despite a provision of placing orders with private companies, the State Government placed orders with BHEL. Similarly, when Rythu Bima was launched, the insurance coverage was extended through LIC. Same was the case with Nethanna Ku Bima Scheme, which was also awarded to the LIC, he pointed out.
Despite the State Government’s repeated appeals to set up a steel plant at Bayyaram, the Union government was not considering the requests. This was even after an assurance made under the AP Reorganization Act, he said.
