Efforts to be made to take proposed steel plant in AP to logical end: Centre

A high-powered team is working to develop a plan and prepare a technical report for the proposed steel plant at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, the Steel Ministry said Thursday.

The ministry said that a review was held last week for preparation of a feasibility report for the steel plant in YSR district as envisaged under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

It, however, pointed out that the ministry was still awaiting key data related to iron ore leases from the state government which was essential to finalisation of feasibility report.

"In the discussion it was stressed that steel plant in YSR Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh is a very important project for the overall development of that region and all efforts should be made to take the project to its logical end," the ministry said in a release.

A high-powered task force comprising representatives from centre and state governments, SAIL, RINL, NMDC, MECON and MSTC is working to evolve a plan and prepare a technical report, the ministry said.

MECON has already submitted a draft report. Further it has finalised all that is required for the preparation of technical report and is waiting for data relating to availability of iron ore, which is essential for the preparation of the feasibility report.

"This data is to be provided by the State Government which is still awaited," it said.

Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh while reviewing the implementation of major projects related to steel sector last week, instructed MECON to give its technical report to the task force immediately without waiting for any other details that is yet to be provided by the state government.

He further asked Mecon to continuously follow up with the state government to furnish the details of mining leases and availability of iron ore at the earliest so as to enable the task force to evaluate the technical report of the project and its feasibility.

It was also decided that the task force will study the mode of investment for the proposed steel plant as a public sector, private sector, a joint venture or a combination of any or all these, the statement said.