Jagan unveils Rs. 2,470-cr caustic soda plant by Grasim Ind

Our government gave permission to the project after removing the coal-based captive power plant, thereby ruling out dust pollution, which was the main concern of the local villagers, who were agitating then – YS Jaganmohan Reddy

Rajahmundry/ Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday asked the Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla to become an 'ambassador for investments in Andhra Pradesh.'

He was speaking at the inaugural of Grasim Industries Limited's first chlor-alkali manufacturing site at Balabhadrapuram village of Biccavolu mandal in East Godavari district. The project proponents are investing nearly Rs 2470 crore in three phases to make it India's largest and one of the finest single location caustic soda plants.

Grasim Industries Limited, is a flagship company of the global conglomerate Aditya Birla Group. Grasim Industries has agreed to the government's policy of giving 75 per cent jobs to the locals. Kumar Mangalam Birla in his address praised the initiatives being taken by the government to promote investments and said Grasim Industries would provide direct employment to 1,300 people and indirect employment to another 1,150 people. He said the Aditya Birla Group is the leading global producer of Viscose Staple Fiber, the largest chlor-alkali, linen and insulators in India and runs various operations through subsidiaries like Ultra Tech Cement, Aditya Birla Fashion and Aditya Birla Capital. He said the current project has been established with modern technology to cut down pollution and assured to play a key role in skill upliftment in the local area.

Thanking the Aditya Birla Group for the massive investment in Balabhadrapuram village, the Chief Minister said the plant will provide direct and indirect employment to many from the region and give a fillip to ancillary and downstream industries. Promising fullest support to the group for its investment, he requested Kumar Mangalam Birla to become ambassador for investments in AP and help improve the investment climate.

Referring to objections raised by the locals over the pollution threat, Reddy pointed out that "when the project was proposed, the local people were agitating regarding the pollution from the plant. The previous TDP Government failed to address the issues. Our government gave permission to the project after removing the coal-based captive power plant, thereby ruling out dust pollution, which was the main concern of the local villagers, who were agitating then."

He blamed the previous government for sanctioning the project just before the general elections without resolving any ground level problems. He said after assuming power, the YSRCP Government immediately took corrective steps and allayed fears among the people. He said they withdrew the permission for setting up a captive thermal power plant. He said the Aditya Birla Group had agreed to spend funds liberally towards CSR activities.

He also explained the measures taken to tackle the pollution issue by incorporating the latest German technology. "Ultra-pure brine purification method has been incorporated to make the project environmentally safer. In addition to this, we have also insisted on zero liquid discharge so that the groundwater contamination is avoided. Electrostatic precipitator with wet scrubbing and dry filtration is also implemented to reduce the pollution effect which releases exhaust gases. All of which have been implemented."

Ministers Gudvada Amarnath, Taneti Vanita, Ch. Venugopal Krishna, Pinipe Viswaroop, Dadisetti Raja, MLA Kurasala Kannababu and other officials were present.