Andhra Pradesh HRD Minister N. Lokesh at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of RIL’s CBG plant at Divakarapuram village in Prakasam district on Wednesday.
Giving a major boost to clean energy production in Andhra Pradesh, HRD Minister N. Lokesh laid the foundation stone for the Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant at Divakarapuram village of Pedacherlopalle mandal in Prakasam district on Wednesday.
Spanning 475 acres, the state-of-the-art plant is being set up by Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) with an investment of ₹139 crore and a production capacity of 100 tonne.
RIL is investing a total of ₹65,000 crore to establish 500 CBG plants across the State, which are expected to generate employment and livelihood opportunities for approximately 2.5 lakh people. The company is also setting up four CBG hubs across India, with one of them strategically located in Prakasam district.
‘Promise fulfilled’
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Lokesh said that the promise he had made to Prakasam district during his Yuvagalam Padayatra was fulfilled by launching the first CBG plant of RIL at Kanigiri.
“The State government has already allocated 5,000 acres of barren land in the district, including 497 acres in Kanigiri, which is set to emerge as the central hub for the CBG plants, with five plants planned in the region. If farmers provide the promised 50,000 acres of land for cultivation, 50 CBG plants will be set up in Kanigiri alone,” he said.
Mr. Lokesh recalled the discussions held during his padayatra on how to transform the region. Kanigiri MLA Mukku Ugra Narasimha Reddy suggested ways to curb migration of youth to cities in search of employment. Taking his advice into account, the State government decided to establish the first CBG plant of RIL in Kanigiri constituency, he informed.
Mr. Lokesh commended the local MLA for his relentless efforts in ensuring job creation and preventing migration from the region. He shared his plans to bring the first 100 CBG plants of RIL to Prakasam district. Around 5 lakh acres of barren and waste lands in Prakasam, Anantapur, Chittoor, and Kadapa would be utilised for setting up the CBG plants, he added.
Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, Prakasam District Collector A. Thameem Ansaria, Superintendent of Police A.R. Damodhar, AP-Transco JMD Keerthi Chekuri, RIL Executive Director P.M.S. Prasad, and RIL Biogas Head Harindra K. Tripathi were present.
Published – April 02, 2025 06:51 pm IST
