Eleven cement factories in Rayalaseema region, which have accounted for 50 per cent of the cement production in the State, are selling cement at Rs.350 a bag in Rayalaseema, which is higher than what it is in any other State, but the Kiran Kumar Reddy government remains indifferent, Telugu Desam Party’s deputy leader in Legislative Assembly, Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu, alleged on Tuesday.
TDP’s Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh Naidu, Proddatur MLA M. Linga Reddy, MLC S.V. Satish Kumar Reddy and former MLC Putha Narasimha Reddy continued their indefinite hunger strike in front of Kadapa Collectorate for the second day today.
Bharti Cements
Bharti Cements, belonging to YSR Congress Party president and Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, was selling cement at a price higher than any other company, Mr. Naidu alleged. Cement companies formed a syndicate in YSR’s rule, he alleged.
While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa ensured reduction in cement price by threatening to withdraw subsidies and concessions to cement companies, Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy remained indifferent to the demand, Mr. Muddukrishnama Naidu alleged. Attributing the grim power situation to the failure of Congress governments, he said that the Congress had hiked power generation by a meagre 1,200 MW as against 6,000 MW generated during TDP rule. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had failed to secure gas allocation to the State from Reliance, which was a benami company of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Naidu alleged.
The Congress high command warned the Chief Minister when he charged Reliance with supplying gas to Gujarat, but not to Andhra Pradesh, he alleged. Gas-based power generation was 1,200 MW as against installed capacity of 5,000 MW. The State failed to get adequate gas and coal supplies, while Tamil Nadu and Karnataka got higher quantum, due to the State government’s failure to reserve lines in time.
