‘State committed to revival of NSF in coop sector’

Minister for Industries, IT and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao has stated that the State government is committed to the revival of Nizam’s Sugar Factory (NSF) on the lines of sugar mills that are run in Maharashtra, in the cooperative sector, as announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on the floor of the Assembly in the past.

Minister for Industries, IT and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao has stated that the State government is committed to the revival of Nizam’s Sugar Factory (NSF) on the lines of sugar mills that are run in Maharashtra, in the cooperative sector, as announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on the floor of the Assembly in the past.

However, nobody was coming forward to run the NSF in cooperative sector even after the government assured to pump in ₹250 crore funds, he said, replying a query during a press conference held here on Tuesday on Vizag Steel Plant. He stated that farmers were running sugar mills in the cooperative system in Maharashtra successfully but such intent was not visible in Telangana.

The Chief Minister had even offered the Chairman’s post to then Congress MLA T. Jeevan Reddy in case he succeeded in mobilising farmers. The untiring efforts of the State government had helped revive Sirpur Paper Mills but its efforts in case of BILT had failed to bear fruit so far as no investor was coming forward.

He explained that the Telangana government was giving priority for protection of public sector undertakings (PSUs) as a policy since all sections would get employment opportunities with the help of rule of reservation in PSUs and backward sections would be denied an opportunity if the PSUs were privatised. It was with that objective the State government had given equipment supply orders to BHEL for Kothagudem and Bhadradri thermal power plants immediately after formation of the State although several private companies were vying for the contract.

The State government had also chosen Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) for implementing insurance schemes to farmers (Rythu Bima) and weavers (Nethannaku Bima) in spite of private companies’ efforts to get sizeable business.

Asked about rise of BRS to the national level with name change from TRS, Mr. Rama Rao, who is also the working president of BRS party, shot back: “Why not? When BJP could rise from two seats to 303 seats in Lok Sabha, BRS too can grow from its current strength of 16 in Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) if people shower their blessings”.