Kovur sugar factory workers to get ₹22 crore in dues after 11-year wait

Workers of the defunct Kovur sugar factory are set to receive ₹22 crore in long-pending wages, after the State government sanctioned the amount and issued orders to this effect. The dues had remained unpaid for 11 years.

Kovur MLA Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy welcomed the development and thanked the government. At the party office in Nellore on Sunday, she joined beneficiaries in performing 'Palabhishekam' on a portrait of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as a mark of gratitude.

Speaking at a press conference afterwards, the MLA displayed copies of the government order and said it reflected the administration's commitment to resolving long-standing problems. She recalled that the workers' plight had moved her when she was named the party's candidate for Kovur ahead of the elections, and that she had promised them a solution once in power.

Ms. Prashanthi Reddy also acknowledged the role of her husband and Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, saying he had pursued the matter to its conclusion and contributed to the development of the IFFCO Kisan SEZ through repeated consultations with Minister for Industries T.G. Bharath Gupta and District Collector Himanshu Shukla.

She further indicated that there would be good news for local youth, hinting that the government would soon take a decision on the future of the defunct sugar factory.