Grasim Plant: Cases Against 131 People Lifted, Announces AP CM YS Jagan

EAST GODAVARI: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated Grasim Industries Limited’s first Chlor-Alkali manufacturing unit in the State here on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that it is one of the largest Chlor-Alkali manufacturing project in the country with an investment of Rs 2470 crore providing employment to 2400 people and boosts State image to attract many industries to join Andhra Pradesh. He stated that the government had already enacted legislation to employ 75 percent of the locals, which would provide ample employment opportunities to the locals through the Grasim project, which belongs to Aditya Birla group.

Recalling the hurdles in the establishment of the unit, the Chief Minister said that the previous government had sanctioned the project just two months before the elections without resolving any of the ground-level problems nor addressing the people’s concerns. 

After coming to power, the Chief Minister said they have taken corrective measures to resolve the issues. He stated that the government has withdrawn the proposal of setting up a captive thermal plant and said that Grasim Industries used advanced German technologies to address the problem of contamination of underground water, and included a recycling plant with zero liquid discharge facility to ensure that no liquid flowed out of the plant. He assured that there will be only good things with the plant, where even CSR funds will be used for developing the local areas.

Earlier, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had unveiled the plaque and visited the plant along with Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla.

He announced that the government is withdrawing the cases filed against the 131 protesters who opposed the establishment of the plant due to pollution concerns.

Speaking on the occasion Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, lauded the State government's approach in setting up industries and thanked the Chief Minister for his contribution on this count. He stated that it was the eighth Chlor-Alkali plant in the country, which is expected to strengthen the East-West corridor. He said that Aditya Birla Group is a leading global producer of Viscose Staple Fiber, the largest Chlor-Alkali, Linen, and Insulators in India and runs various operations through subsidiaries like UltraTech Cement, Aditya Birla Fashion and Aditya Birla Capital. He said that the current project was set up with modern technology to cut down the pollution and assured to play a key role in skill upliftment in local areas.

AP Ministers Taneti Vanita, Gudivada Amarnath, Ch Venugopala Krishna, Pinipe Viswaroop, Dadisetti Raja, MLA Kurasala Kannababu, and other officials were present at the event.

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