The ruling Telugu Desam Party MPs are scheduled to meet Union Minister for Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh in New Delhi once again on Thursday. This time, they are scheduled to carry a letter duly written by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu renewing the request for sanctioning of the steel plant in Kadapa.

It was on Wednesday the TDP MPs held a protest outside the office of the Union Minister and later met him. They appealed to the Minister that steel plant demand had become sentimental issue for the people and it had to be sanctioned fulfilling the AP Reorganisation Act.

The Chief Minister said that the government had allocated mines with 86 million tonns of iron ore reserves and would get another seven mines by 2020 with 200 million tonns of iron ore. A steel plant can be granted if there is about 150 million tonns of iron ore reserves and the Kadapa steel plant would be having more than 260 million tonns once it starts production.

The Chief Minister had also promised to lay approach roads connecting the steel plant with the national highway and railway line. He had promised to give dedicated water supply to the plant and wanted the Central government to clear the proposal at the earliest.

Meanwhile, in Kadapa, the indefinite hunger strike launched by Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh entered 9th day on Thursday. Though the police tried to shift him to the hospital on Wednesday, the TDP leaders prevented them. However, the police moved MLC M Ravindranath Reddy alias B Tech Ravi, who was also on fast along with Ramesh, to the hospital and his fast was stopped by force.

On ninth day, the TDP MP is continuing his fast and the party leaders want to extend it for two more days as Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is planning to visit the district on June 30. The doctors who were attending on the fasting MP are advising his immediate shift but the TDP wants to cash in on the situation by continuing the fast for two more days.