MIDHANI to be set up in Nellore

Nellore: Here is good news for the district people with the Central government almost agreed to establish Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), a public sector undertaking (PSU) to manufacture metal alloys for Indian Defence in Nellore district.

The long pending issue again came to light after Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy brought it to the notice of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during the current Parliament sessions recently in New Delhi.

According to sources, the Union Minister has assured MP Vemireddy that he would definitely initiate steps for establishing MIDHANi in Nellore district.

The project meant to provide direct employment to 10,000 people while another 10, 000 would get indirect employment in the district. This is the first important project related to Indian Defence going to establish in the district.

It may be recalled that actually MIDHANI was proposed to establish during TDP regime with an investment of Rs 3,982 crore at Bodduvaripalem village of Kodavaluru mandal in the district in 2027.

The district administration has acquired 110 acres through Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) in 2017. However, YSRCP, after forming government in 2019, had cancelled the old proposal and proposed new project called Utkarsha Aluminium Dhatu Nigam Limited (UADNL), a joint venture between National Aluminium Company Limited and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited, with an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore at the same place (Bodduvaripalem) and shifted the acquired 110 acres for new project in October 2019, only for political reasons.

The YSRCP government had reportedly issued orders for releasing 0.5 tmcft of water for new project (UDNAL) in 2020. UADNL is meant to produce high end Aluminium alloy flat roll products. The YSRCP government neglected the project for over four years, making the Central government to reason it was middle dropped.

After TDP re-establishing power in 2024, the issue again came to the fore with the initiation of MP Vemireddy as he detailed the whole saga to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and he reportedly okayed the proposal.