KTR plea to Centre: Revive CCI cement plant in Adilabad

Hyderabad: KT Rama Rao, Telangana Industries & IT Minister, on Thursday requested the central government to reopen of the closed-down unit of Cement Corporation of India (CCI) in Adilabad, Telangana.

In a letter to Union Minister for Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey, the Minister stated that the issue was earlier brought to the notice of Mahendra Nath Pandey's predecessors, but no favourable decision has not been made in this matter.

Giving detailed information about the plant, KTR stated that the CCI Adilabad commenced production in 1984 with an initial cost of Rs 47 crore. The plant is located in an area of about 772 acres on the outskirts of Adilabad town and has a township of 170 acres with about 400 quarters.

The plant was catering to the cement requirements in Marathwada and Vidarbha region in Maharashtra and North Telangana. The plant, unfortunately, stopped manufacturing in 1996 for want of the working capital and as per the sanctioned scheme of BIFR.

The plant was to be closed down by offering VRS to the employees in 2008. The employees however approached the court and the matter is presently under status-quo with 75 employees still under the rolls of the company.

The Minister highlighted that the erstwhile plant has a live mining lease in an area of about 1500 acres with limestone deposits of about 48 million tonnes. The unit also has a power supply connection of 32 KVA and water availability for the plant continues to be there. KTR further stated that the coal of the required quality is available with Singareni Collieries Corporation Limited, a state-owned coal mining company, which can be supplied on a cost-plus basis.

"Given the strategic importance, I humbly request that the steps may be initiated under your stewardship to revive and restart the unit. The State Government shall extend all necessary assistance as required in this endeavor," said KTR.