KTR greets Mitta Yadava Reddy, who had participated in the 1960s Telangana movement

Hyderabad: Industries minister K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday said that the state government was committed to setting up the steel plant in Bayyaram irrespective of whether the Centre would fulfil the promise made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

He said Bayyaram deserved a steel plant as it fulfilled all the conditions required for the purpose.

He formed a committee comprising senior officials to suggest measures within a month  for the TS government to set up the steel plant on its own. Mr Rama Rao along with energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy held a joint meeting with officials of Singareni Collier-ies, the mines, and geology department and TSMDC on setting up an integrated steel plant at Bayyaram.

The panel will study the process of setting up a steel plant, availability of land, water and iron ore resources and road connectivity. “Though there are a lot of possibilities for setting up of a steel plant at Bayyaram, the Centre is not responding positively since four years,” he added.

Mr Rao reiterated that the state would continue its efforts to get the steel plant set up at Bayyaram.

In the meeting, Mr Rao said, “The state government has approached Centre many times for setting up the a steel plant at Bayyaram. In spite of the Telangana state government providing assurance on bearing the 50 per cent of expenditure, the Centre is not responding positively.”

“The TS government is committed to building the steel plant with or without the support of the Centre,” he said, adding that the plant is expected to create a lot of direct and in indirect jobs.