Telugu states indulging in politics on the steel plants issue: Union Minister

Union minister for steel Chaudhary Birender Singh on Monday addressed the media stating that both the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments were blaming the Centre when they didn’t submit assurances on probable incentives to set up steel plants at Bayyaram and Kadapa.

Birender Singh met former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya at his residence where they discussed the issue of steel plants.

He said that the state governments were indulging in politics on the steel plants issue and called it unfortunate that the states have gone to the media that the Centre denied the setting up steel plants in the affidavit.

Recalling that both the states had said that they would let the Centre know about incentives they would provide to set up the steel plants in December 2017, the Union Minister said that the Telugu states, so far have not provided any information on logistic support to be given by them which is clearly proved by the affidavit filed by the ministry in the Supreme Court.

Bandaru Dattatreya, on the other hand, mentioned that IT Minister KT Rama Rao had set up a committee to review the incentives to be given by the state to set up a steel plant at Bayyaram which should have been completed long back along with the report. 

He further informed that the Minister assuring the Centre planning to take up the ‘sponge iron’ plant at Palvancha and NMDC for takeover by enhancing the capacity of the plant from 0.40 million to 1.50 million.