NTPC-BHEL land allotment gets Cabinet nod

The state cabinet has approved allotment of 750 acre to NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Private Limited by the Andhra Pradesh government. The company, a joint venture between public sector NTPC Limited and BHEL, is setting up a power project equipment manufacturing unit at Mannavaram village in Chittoor district of the state.

Briefing the media here on Thursday, public relations minister J Geeta Reddy said the greenfield unit would come up with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore. The land has been allotted at Rs 100 per acre.

The joint venture, which was incorporated last year, opted for Andhra Pradesh instead of Rajasthan in view of better facilities, she said.

The plant would provide direct employment to 6,000 besides indirect employment to over 25,000 people, she said, adding the state government would provide the required infrastructure for the proposed unit like water supply, power and roads as per the Industrial Investment Promotion Policy for mega projects.

The facility would manufacture equipment for thermal, hydro, gas and power plants.

“This is a major industrial project coming up in the state after the Vizag Steel Plant,” she said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to lay the foundation-stone for the unit soon.