It is inevitable to shift rice mills: Anam

 Nellore: Stating that people of Nellore city have been facing serious pollution threat due to the smoke emanating from rice mills, Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy stated they have decided to shift these mills far from the city very soon.

Addressing the reporters along with MA&UD Minister P Narayana, MLAs Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy here on Sunday, Anam said in fact these rice mills were established on the outskirts of Nellore city, but now they are seen in the heart of the city as the city has been extending with time.

The Minister said that he discussed the issue with three main rice miller’s associations and some of them prepared to shift to Krishnapatnam Port area located in Muthukuru mandal, while some proposed for Kisan Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) under the control of the Central government at Kodavaluru mandal.

During discussions with MLAs and the district Collector, it was decided to hand over the responsibility to the administration of preparing a comprehensive report about which place is better for the purpose, he informed. The K.SEZ CEO was briefed about the issue of shifting rice mills to KSEZ and a decision will be taken very soon.

He further informed that it was also decided to construct airport in Dagadarthi mandal, but the proposal was dropped for various reasons. He recalled that recently R&B Minister BC Janardhan Reddy visited Dagadarthi and assured that the government will extend all support for construction of airport there. Anam said Minister P Narayana already brought the issue to the notice of Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rama Naidu, who positively responded to the issue. At present around 630 acres is readily available against the requirement of 1,379 acres for airport construction. The remaining 711 acres has to be acquired. Minister P Narayana said that construction of airport in Dagadarthi was proposed during TDP regime in 2014, but YSRCP government proposed to construct the same at another place. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his recent tour to Nellore district visited Dagadarthi and ordered the administration to acquire land for airport construction.