Ongole: Mines, Geology, and Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra visited the Building Material Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Gullapalli in Bapatla district on Friday, where he inspected granite slab cutting and quartz building material manufacturing units along with local MLA BN Vijay Kumar.

During his visit, the minister highlighted that the erstwhile Prakasam district is home to over 1500 mining companies, with more than 100 plants established in the Gullapalli SEZ, demonstrating the region’s significant potential in the mining sector. He alleged that the former government imposed penalties worth thousands of crores rupees on mining companies as part of a conspiracy to take control of these businesses.

He assured the reopening of all units that were shut down due to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s arbitrary actions, false cases, and harassment. “We need to take the initiative to utilise the opportunities in the mining sector to increase the state’s revenue,” the minister stated, announcing that a new policy would soon be introduced to address mining-related issues.

Ravindra emphasised the vast employment opportunities available in the processing sector and the potential to increase revenue through exports.

He further noted that using advanced technology in cutting and processing would not only reduce labour but also create opportunities for innovation.

The minister concluded by stating that measures would be taken to develop the mining system to both increase state revenue and enhance employment opportunities.