Govt committed for 2nd steel plant
Amaravati: IT & HRD Minister Nara Lokesh announced in the Legislature Council here on Thursday that ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India was planning a Rs.1.35 lakh crore project in Uttarandhra and said the government was committed to establishing a second steel plant in the north coastal region. “We are creating a strong ecosystem for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and world-class infrastructure to attract global companies. Our goal is to generate 20 lakh jobs by 2029,” he said, adding that the government was planning sector-specific cities in IT, electronics, solar, and other industries.
Meanwhile, Minister for SERP, MSME, NRI Empowerment and Relations Kondapalli Srinivas informed the House that the government was studying the introduction of new social security pensions for widows and the elderly, in addition to existing benefits under the NTR Bharosa Social Security Pension Scheme.
YSRCP member Yellareddigari Sivarami Reddy expressed concern that nearly five lakh pensions had allegedly been reduced compared to the previous government’s tenure. Responding, Srinivas clarified that 38,214 pensions were sanctioned in 2024–25 and 1,76,111 in 2025-26, taking the total to 2,14,326 new pensions sanctioned under widow (spouse category) and health pensions. He categorically stated that no pensions had been cut.
When Leader of the Opposition Botsa Satyanarayana sought clarification on pensions for widows and the elderly beyond the spouse category, the Minister said the government was examining the issue and alleged that large numbers of pensions had been removed during the previous regime due to validation procedures.
