The Andhra Pradesh government today sought to put at the rest the political controversy over the Bayyaram mines issue, saying there was no proposal to divert iron ore to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).
"There is no proposal to divert iron ore to Visakhapatnam from Bayyaram mines. The ore is proposed to be utilised/ processed at Bayyaram by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL)," Mines Minister Galla Aruna Kumari informed the state Assembly in reply to a starred question by TRS floor leader E Rajender and other MLAs.
On April 17, the Chief Minister's Office issued a press note stating that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had approved allocation of iron ore from Bayyaram to the Vizag plant.
However, a government (industries department) memo issued the same day merely asked the AP Mineral Development Corporation to enter into a "supply agreement" with RINL for establishment of an integrated steel plant at Bayyaram.
Political parties in Telangana region immediately took up the issue and created a controversy, even as Kiran Kumar himself asserted that no force could stop shipment of iron ore from Bayyaram to the Vizag plant.
Congress leaders from Telangana region, too, joined and strongly opposed diversion of iron ore from "Telangana to Andhra" and lashed out at the chief minister for "stoking the fire" at a time when Telangana issue is on the boil.
The government, however, today came out with a totally different version on the issue of Bayyaram mines.
Though it was the first listed question for the day in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, it could not be discussed due to disruption of the House by TRS members themselves.
As the Speaker announced that all questions were "deemed to have been answered", the replies were placed in the House.
