Bharat Rastra Samiti (BRS) leader and Telangana minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday alleged that the Central government has been in the process of privatising the Visakha Steel plant to do favours to businessman Gautam Adani. Addressing a presser in Hyderabad, he alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy is to dedicate losses to the nation and distribute profits to his friends.

“The Central government has eyed the Biladila iron ore mines and they refused to supply iron ore to Bayyaram which is 160 km away from Bailadila but now they are making all arrangements to supply iron ore to Mundra (Gujarat) which is 1,800 km away. PM Modi has been conspiring to hand over Navaratnas in the public sector to his best friends. His policy is to sell the public sector units at a cheaper price to his friends by showing losses,” Rao said.

He also stated that the Bailadila mines are nearer to Visakhapatnam and Bayyaram and mines are nothing but a treasure of 1.34 Million Tonnes of iron ore. “Once the mines fell into the hands of Adani it will be a big loss to Visakha Steel Plant and Telangana State”, he claimed, adding, “I am making these allegations with all proof. I am challenging and if you (BJP) have guts, can file deformation on me.”

He said that one has to take over the Visakha Steel Plant to save the Bailadila and that is why the Telangana government formed a team to study the feasibility of taking part in the bidding of the Visakha steel plant.

The minister said that based on the report submitted by the team they will decide on taking part in that bidding.

KTR categorically said that it is “ridiculous and baseless” to say that they (the BRS-led Telangana government) are raising the issue of the Visakha steel plant to get political mileage.

He said that they are not interested in the state government’s stand towards the steel plant. But they have been keenly observing what the Central government have been doing when it comes to the plant, the minister said, adding that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is committed to reopening Nizam Sugar Factory and Sirpur Paper Mills.

Read all the Latest Politics News here