On Sunday, HD Kumaraswamy accused the Karnataka Congress government of attempting to shut down the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) plant in Mangaluru, despite its crucial role in providing thousands of jobs. He claimed that the political move was motivated by personal vendettas against him.
Speaking in Channarayapatna, Hassan district, the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel criticized the state government for obstructing his efforts to protect the plant. “Since becoming a Union Minister seven months ago, I have visited all the industries and plants under my ministry. My proposals were well received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has always supported Karnataka’s development. However, no one from the Karnataka government has approached me to discuss the state’s needs,” Kumaraswamy stated.
He also recalled his support for the Congress government’s approval of the Devadari mining project in Sandur in 2011, where he recommended financial assistance to ensure its execution. However, he alleged that Congress leaders twisted his efforts and obstructed them out of political rivalry.
Kumaraswamy claimed that these state-level interferences led to job losses at the KIOCL plant. He said a plan to merge KIOCL with the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) had been proposed to save the plant from closure.
Furthermore, the Union Minister accused the state government of blocking his attempts to revive Hindustan Machine Tools Limited (HMT) due to land disputes with the Forest Department. He expressed uncertainty about how much support he would receive from the Congress government in his efforts to revive the Bhadravathi Iron & Steel Plant.
Despite these challenges, Kumaraswamy reiterated the central government’s commitment to promoting Karnataka’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector, emphasizing its potential to become a hub for AI and ensuring that policies and investments were in place to support its growth.
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