Long-pending Kadapa steel plant gets nod from AP state cabinet

VIJAYAWADA: The state Cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval to Jindal Steel for the construction of the Kadapa steel plant. It also approved the AP Pumped Storage Power Policy and decided to form urban development authorities for Bapatla and Palnadu.

State information and BC welfare minister Chelloboina Srinivas Venugopal Krishna briefed the media on the Cabinet decisions. He said the council of ministers approved the establishment of an integrated steel factory under the auspices of JSW Steel at Sunnapurallapalle in YSR district.

This had already been approved by the state investment promotion board under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The long-pending steel plant would aim at a two-million tonne output. It also got the approval for creation of necessary infrastructure to achieve a production of another 2.5 million tonnes in future.

He said JSW would invest Rs 8,880 crore for the Kadapa Steel Plant and this would create employment opportunities for 6,500 persons directly or indirectly.

The Kadapa steel plant is a long-pending proposal for which three chief ministers had laid foundations. Chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy convinced the JSW Steels to establish its second biggest unit in AP.

In June 2007, the then CM Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had laid the foundation for Brahmani Steels but the Ballari mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy failed to make it due to his arrest in the illicit mining case. Later N. Chandrababu Naidu as CM laid the foundation on December 27, 2018 in the name of Rayalaseema Steel Authority Corporation Ltd, but no progress was achieved. Jagan Moahn Reddy laid the foundation in December 2019 and took the matter forward.

Minister Krishna said the Cabinet approved the formulation of the AP Pumped Storage Power Promotion Policy-2022 to promote pumped storage and hydro projects in the state as part of the government’s efforts to explore non-conventional energy sources.

He said the companies would pay Rs 2 lakh per megawatt to the state government. If the land is taken from farmers, the lease would be `30,000 per acre per year. A five per cent increase in lease fee every two years will further benefit the farmer.

The Cabinet approved a plan to grant permission to Adani Green Energy for setting up 1600mw pumped hydro storage projects under the Raiwada project in Pedakota in Alluri Sitarama Raju district and Raiwada in Vizianagaram district.

The Cabinet also approved a plan to grant permission to Sri Shirdi Sai Electricals for setting up pumped hydro storage projects with a capacity of 900mw at Somasila in YSR district and 1200mw at Yerravaram in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.

The Cabinet okayed administrative approvals for construction of the Upper Sileru Pumped Storage Hydro Electric Project with a capacity of 1350mw at Sileru in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.

The Cabinet also gave its green signal for the setting up of the Bapatla Urban Development Authority with Bapatla as its headquarters under which the Bapatla Urban Development Authority would be established with two urban local bodies, 101 villages and 9 mandals in an area of 1301.68 sq-km.

The Cabinet approved the establishment of Palnadu Urban Development Authority with Narasaraopet as its headquarters. The authority would be set up in a 7281.31 sq-km area with 349 villages in 28 mandals along with eight urban centres.

These apart, the Cabinet gave its nod for creation of SE post in Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) and SE post in Visakhapatnam Metro Region Development Authority (VMRDA).