The sudden two-day blockade of limestone mining operations at Bharathi Cements is not routine regulatory action. It is a calculated political strike by the TDP-led government against a company linked to the family of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. What is being sold as a crackdown on “illegal mining” looks far more like an attempt to cripple a major industrial unit, throw thousands out of work, and send a chilling message to anyone associated with the previous regime.
For two consecutive days, teams of officials have obstructed mining roads, halted machinery, and disrupted the supply of limestone to the plant. Company sources say production will be severely hit within 48 hours if the restrictions continue. Nearly 3,000 direct workers and another 12,000 people dependent on ancillary activities face an immediate livelihood crisis. Bharathi Cements has invested roughly ₹7,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh and contributes around ₹3,000 crore annually to the state exchequer. Yet the administration appears willing to risk this revenue and employment for political score-settling.
The leases under scrutiny were granted in early 2024 by the previous government. The current regime has long signalled its intention to cancel them, citing the absence of e-auction. Show-cause notices were issued months ago. What we are witnessing now is the escalation from paper notices to on-ground paralysis. The timing, the aggressive presence of officials, and the complete disregard for the human and economic cost raise serious questions about motive. If the leases are legally defective, the remedy lies in courts and due process—not in choking a running plant and threatening the livelihoods of thousands overnight.
This is not an isolated incident. The same government that claims to be investor-friendly has created an atmosphere of selective harassment. A telling parallel exists with UltraTech Cement, India’s largest cement producer. In Yerraguntla (Kadapa district), UltraTech’s India Cements unit has repeatedly faced operational shutdowns and blockades triggered by local political pressure. In 2025, contract workers—allegedly instigated by local leaders, including a BJP MLA from the ruling alliance—blocked plant gates for weeks, demanding contracts and absorption. Limestone and fly-ash transportation was obstructed. Production stopped. The company was forced to approach the High Court, which openly criticised the state government’s inaction and directed police to restore access. The court noted that an “unidentified force” was fueling the agitation and warned of the consequences of allowing a major manufacturing unit to be paralysed.
The larger damage is to Andhra Pradesh’s investment climate. International and domestic investors watch closely. When a government uses the mining department and police machinery to settle scores with the previous regime’s associated industries, the signal is clear: political loyalty matters more than industrial contribution, employment, or tax revenue. The same state that once competed to attract cement giants is now watching production lines idle and workers anxious.
If the Naidu government is serious about rule of law, it should pursue any genuine legal violations through transparent, time-bound adjudication rather than sudden physical blockades. Targeting one company while remaining passive when ruling-alliance politicians disrupt another only confirms the charge of selective vendetta. Andhra Pradesh’s cement sector, built on rich limestone reserves and decades of investment, deserves better than being turned into a political battlefield.
