Naidu govt accused of ‘credit grabbing’ over steel plant project

Former Minister Gudivada Amarnath alleged on Tuesday that groundwork for the Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel plant in Anakapalli district was initiated in 2022 by the then YSRCP government led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He accused the current NDA government of trying to claim credit for the project.

Speaking at a press conference at the party office, Mr. Amarnath criticised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for what he described as “credit stealing.” He noted that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the steel plant was signed in 2022 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. During that event, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy held discussions with Arcelor Mittal Chairman Aditya Mittal.

According to him, the foundation for the project had already been laid before the 2024 elections. However, he said the present government is now presenting it as its own achievement. He also pointed out that the foundation stone for Inorbit Mall in the North Constituency was laid during the YSRCP regime, yet the current administration is claiming credit.

The YSRCP leader also raised concerns over the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. He asked the government to clarify its position. He questioned whether nearly 10,000 jobs had been lost in the past 20 months and why the public sector unit has not received adequate attention.

Further, Mr. Amarnath alleged that several companies are moving out of the State due to administrative hurdles. He claimed that investments worth ₹5,600 crore have left Andhra Pradesh in the last 20 months.