Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao has requested the Centre to revive the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) plant located in Adilabad.

In a letter to Union Minister for Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey, KTR requested the Centre reopen the closed unit and assured all necessary support for its revival.

The Minister stated that the issue was earlier brought to the notice of Mahendra Nath Pandey’s predecessors, but no decision was taken in this matter.

KTR stated that the CCI Adilabad commenced production in 1984 with an initial cost of Rs 47 crore. Located in an area of about 772 acres on the outskirts of Adilabad town, the plant has a township of 170 acres with about 400 quarters.

Plant closure

The plant was catering to the cement requirements in Marathwada and Vidarbha region in Maharashtra and north Telangana. The plant, unfortunately, stopped manufacturing in 1996 for want of the working capital and as per the sanctioned scheme of BIFR.

The plant was to be closed down by offering the VRS to the employees in 2008. The employees, however, approached the court and the matter is presently under status-quo with 75 employees still under the rolls.

The Minister stated the plant has a live mining lease in about 1,500 acres with limestone deposits of about 48 million tonnes. The unit also has a power supply connection of 32 KVA, and the plant has adequate water.

The coal required is available with Singareni Collieries Corporation Limited, a state-owned coal mining company, which can be supplied on a cost-plus basis.

“Given the strategic importance, I humbly request that the steps may be initiated under your stewardship to revive and restart the unit. The State Government shall extend all necessary assistance as required in this endeavor,” the Minister wrote.

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