KTR’s bid to convince PM Modi on Bayyaram steel

​New Delhi: IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao on Wednesday handed over additional information sought by the Centre for setting up the Bayyaram Steel Plant in Khammam district to Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally. He told the PM that the state government was ready to do all it could to make the integrated steel plant viable.

This followed the request of the Centre seeking additional information for the setting up of the steel plant in the state as per the promise given in the AP Reorganization Act, 2014. A few days ago, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, met the PM and apprised him of the developmental programmes of the state and sought the former's cooperation in getting the clearance for the steel plant which was getting delayed.

KTR said he had updated the PM on the developments in the IT sector in Telangana under its new initiatives. He told the PM that neighbouring Chhattisgarh had high grade iron ore aplenty and even if Bayyaram ore was of low grade, it could be useful in making steel through beneficiation.

Later speaking to the media, KTR said he had told the PM that the state government would look out for alternatives in case the Centre dithered in fulfilling its steel plant promise. He said he had explained the efforts made by the state government to fulfil the conditions of the Centre in this regard in the last four years.

The steel plant would provide jobs to 15,000 tribals of the area and the State Government was ready to cooperate with the Centre in laying a railway line between Bailadilla in Odisha to transport iron ore from the area to Bayyaram by sharing the cost of the project.

The minister also raised the issue of ITIR and highlighted the contribution of the state government in establishing IT clusters in Budvel, Rajendranagar, Kollur and Kokapet and said those could boost employment opportunities tremendously and thousands would get employed. Hence the Centre should revisit ITIR at once, he pleaded.