Union Minister of Steel, HD Kumaraswamy was accorded a rousing reception at Visakhaptnam Airport upon his arrival on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU

Union Steel Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy along with his Cabinet colleague, Union Minister of State for Steel & Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma visited RINL-Visakhapatnam steel plant on Thursday.

During the internal meetings with the employees, Mr. Kumaraswamy expressed confidence that RINL workforce has got the potential to bounce back and march towards profitability. RINL would play a major role towards achieving the 300 million tonne production target as part of Viksit Bharat- Atma Nirbhar Bharat, he added.

The Steel Ministers, accompanied by Members of Parliament M Sribharat (Visakhapatnam), K. Appalanaidu (Vizianagaram) and CM Ramesh (Anakapalli), and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao along with Steel secretary Sandeep Poundrik, inaugurated RINL’s Resurgence Park at Blast Furnace -2 area, during their visit.

Later, addressing the RINL staff at Tenetti Viswanadham auditorium, Mr. Kumaraswamy congratulated the RINL team for their struggle, hard work and commitment towards achieving steady progress in the last three months on the production front. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the revival package of ₹11,440 crore.

He said that he offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara Swamy this morning at Tirumala to give the required strength to the workforce of RINL and also to him in taking RINL to greater heights of excellence and efficiency. “Strength is within you and with your hard work, I would like to bring this plant (RINL) to number one position in the country” the Minister said.

New Delhi/Bengaluru:

Responding to the charges levelled against him by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah connected to land allotments in ‘violation’ of law, Union Minister and senior JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Friday that the game is over for the Chief Minister.

“How long will you keep claiming to be honest? The game is over, Mr. Siddaramaiah,” Mr Kumaraswamy said while speaking to reporters in Delhi, adding that he has not misused his power like the Karnataka Chief Minister.

Although CM Siddaramaiah and Minister Bhairati Suresh alleged that a site had been allocated to him in Mysore, he has not yet received it, the Union Minister said.

“I was the Chief Minister in 2006. Had I wished to misuse my power, I could have registered that site in my name back then. But unlike CM Siddaramaiah, I did not misuse my authority,” Mr Kumaraswamy said.

He added that the investigation into this site has been ongoing since the time of late CM Ramakrishna Hegde.

“In 2012, I wrote to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) requesting the allocation of the site. I wrote another letter in 2017. I never misused my power. I never even thought of it. Unlike CM Siddaramaiah, I never misused my authority,” Mr Kumaraswamy said.

“They are not giving me this site out of charity. I paid Rs 34,000, and it’s been 40 years. This is the real situation,” Mr Kumaraswamy explained.

“Today, I saw the arrogance of Urban Development Minister Bhairati Suresh in Bengaluru. I know his background. If we expose all the corruption he has indulged in around Bengaluru, it would be enough,” Mr Kumaraswamy said.

“If you (Siddaramaiah) want, you can transfer the site in my name to your son, wife, or close confidante Minister Bhairati Suresh, or donate it to an orphanage. I will have no objections,” he added.

He also said that in 2001, a site was allocated to Siddaramaiah’s wife in Vijayanagar, Mysore.

“How did they purchase the land classified as agricultural land in 2005? How did the Deputy Commissioner convert the land without inspection,” Kumaraswamy asked.

“Siddaramaiah was the Deputy Chief Minister at that time. But he misused his power. The scam was exposed by the person who is eying the Chief Minister’s post. He released all the documents to the media,” Kumaraswamy claimed, indirectly pointing fingers at Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar.

“The documents provided by your own people are being discussed by the opposition. On what moral ground are you asking for Rs 64 crore compensation after grabbing government land? With such accusations, how can you sit in the CM’s chair,” the Union Minister questioned the Chief Minister.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)