The villagers demanded a written assurance on employment opportunities to them in VBC Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited which is planning to set up an integrated fertilizer and chemical complex at Jayantipuram near here.
The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) conducted a public hearing on the proposed project at Jayanatipuram on Thursday. Participating in it, Jayantipuram and neighbouring villagers demanded employment opportunities in the company. Many unemployed youth were there in the villages. The company should give priority and recruit them instead of “importing someone from Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Karnataka.”
Chinna Saidulu, a B.Com student and resident of Jayantipuram, said that the company was projecting employment opportunities to 1,200 to 1,500 people. It was mere a promise. Many cement companies had come here earlier with similar assurances. But, they recruited “outsiders”. Unless, there was a written assurance, the youth and villagers would not trust the VBC, he said.
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Jaggayyapeta MLA Sriram Rajgopal, Sarpanches, Mallikarjuna Rao (Jayantipuram), L. Ramakrishna (Gouravaram), P. Babu Rao (Boodawada), V.J. Rao (Vedadri), M. Ramakrishna Reddy (Pochampalli), S. Vijetha (Chillakallu), Y. Nageswara Rao (Kowthavari Agraharam) etc welcomed the project. They, however, strongly demanded employment opportunities and development of their villages.
The company representatives explained that they were investing Rs.10,000 crore. The company would manufacture urea, ammonia etc that were being imported from Bihar and other places so far. The company would also set up a captive power plants with a total production capacity of 135 MW. Though two plants, each with a capacity of 67.5 MW were being proposed, only one would be put to use. The other one would be a stand by. The company was proposing to draw water from Krishna and Paleru rivers, they said. Joint Collector Gandham Chandrudu said that a study of employment provided by the companies in the mandal would be conducted. The study would focus on village, mandal, Krishna district wise data. It would also study how many outsiders were employment opportunities, he assured.
Many companies had come here earlier and made similar promises. But, they never recruited us, but outsiders.
- Chinna Saidulu,B.Com student