Duddilla Sridhar Babu, minister for industry in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, in southern India, has called upon the central government to take steps towards reviving the the state-sponsored Cement Corporation of India's (CCI) Adilabad plant, which closed in 2008.
Mr Sridhar Babu raised the subject with the country's Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, HD Kumaraswamy, following discussions in Delhi last month. Sanjay Banga, chairman and managing director of CCI, and other officials from the concerned central departments also attended the meeting. Mr Sridhar Babu presented the need and significance of reviving CCI, in addition to Sponge Iron India Ltd, during the session.
He also cited the successful revival of Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd in Peddapalli district, which was achieved with an investment of INR50bn (US$583m), while also highlighting the potential for generating employment opportunities for youth and promoting economic development. Mr Kumaraswamy assured him that he would visit Telangana by the end of this month to review the functioning of central public sector undertakings in the state and examine the possibilities for revival, promising the full support of central government.
CCI Adilabad, which commenced production in 1984, is located on a 312ha site on the outskirts of Adilabad and catered to the cement requirements in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions in Maharashtra and north Telangana. After many years of problems it finally closed in 2008, having accumulated heavy losses. Although there has been periodic proposals to revive the facility it has previously been suggested that the BJP-led central government was not in favour.
