ONGOLE: Mines and Geology Minister Kollu Ravindra announced Sunday that the State government will construct Mines and Geology department offices in all 26 districts. He said the Ongole office will serve as a model for the rest. Kollu Ravindra, along with Social Welfare Minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, laid the foundation stone for the Prakasam district office complex on Ongole South Bypass Road. The project, estimated at Rs 2.14 crore, will be built on 20 cents of land.
The minister said this is the first Mines department office in Prakasam district and assured that granite industry concerns will be addressed. He added that the government’s free sand policy is aimed at preventing shortages. Kollu Ravindra also highlighted Vizag’s emergence as a major software hub, noting that the Vizag–CII Partnership Summit attracted Rs 13.5 lakh crore in investments, expected to generate 17.5 lakh jobs.
Swamy welcomed office construction, citing the presence of many granite industries in Prakasam. The two ministers also laid the foundation for Rs 10.94 crore development works at APIIC Throvagunta Auto Nagar, including canals and internal roads.
They assured unit owners that infrastructure issues would be resolved to support industrial growth.
Event was attended by Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Joint Collector R Gopala Krishna, Ongole MLA Damacharla Janardhana Rao, SN Padu MLA BN Vijay Kumar, Kanigiri MLA Dr Mukku Ugra Narasimha Reddy, APIIC Chairman Manthena Rama Raju, Maritime Board Chairman Damacharla Satyanarayana, Mines Department Deputy Director TJ Raja Sekhar, Ongole Mayor G Sujatha, OUDA Chairman Shaik Riyaz, and others