Khammam: Solve granite industry problems, MP Nama requests KTR

Khammam: MP Nama Nageswar Rao and MLA S Venkata Veeraiah have appealed IT, Industries and MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao to address the issues being faced by granite industry, which was affected due to lockdown.

Both the MP and MLA, along with the office bearers of Khammam Granite Slab Factory Owners Association met the Minister in Hyderabad on Thursday and submitted a memorandum to him.

MP Nageswar Rao stated that the granite industry, which offers direct and indirect employment to about one lakh people, is facing serious problems and many factories are closed as the owners were unable to pay EMIs of bank loans in view of corona-induced lockdown.

He urged Minister KTR to exempt granite industry from mining royalty for one year. In addition to that, relief from minimum electricity charges and subsidies and incentives like 'pavala vaddi' (25 paise interest) have to be offered to the granite industry, he requested.

The MP said exports to States like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan were affected as buyers were not buying the material even after restrictions on transportation were relaxed. It was causing financial losses to the owners and to the workers also, he added.

Of the 454 factories in the district, only 100 units are running with single shift as most of labourers working in granite factories had returned to their native places. IT Minister KTR had assured the MP to take the required measures to address the industry's problems.