Cong. MPs make a strong pitch in Lok Sabha for Telangana projects

The Congress MPs from the State made a strong pitch for the fulfilment of promises made to Telangana at the time of bifurcation of the erstwhile united State.

Participating in a debate on the AP Reorganisation Act (Amendment) Bill 2014 in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the State MPs questioned the rationale of the BJP-led Central Government for not implementing the assurances given to Telangana, even 12 years after its formation.

Lamenting that several of the assurances remained on paper till date, they demanded that the Government fulfil assurance, including setting up of educational institutions such as NIT, IIM, IISER and Central University, besides taking steps to upgrade the existing institutions to the national level.

Khammam MP R. Raghuram Reddy requested the Centre to take steps to expand the IT corridor in Telangana as Hyderabad had already turned into a hub of IT activities. The Centre should keep its promise relating to financial assistance assured to backward districts like Khammam and Mahabubnagar under Section 94 (2) of the Reorganisation Act by implementing a special package to the backward districts.

He questioned about the Centre’s commitment to set up an integrated steel factory in Bayyaram of Khammam district recalling that the Union Government was yet to fulfil the assurance given at the time of bifurcation.

Referring to Irrigation related issues, he demanded that the Centre set up management boards for Krishna and Godavari water allocation besides according national project status to Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme. He wanted allocation of funds for development of an airport in Kothagudem and additional allocations for the proposed regional ring road as also for the ambitious Musi rejuvenation project.

Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamshi Krishna, recalling the intense agitation that led to the formation of a separate Telangana, warned that if the Banakacharla project, proposed by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh was implemented, it could lead to diversion of 200 tmcft of water resulting in drought situation in north Telangana region.

He criticised the Central Government’s attitude in unequal allocation of funds to Telangana as could be seen from allocations made to several projects while there were disparities in the funding of railway projects too.

Mr. Vamshi Krishna lamented that there was no equality in airport infrastructure as well. This could be seen from the fact that AP had several airports while Telangana had limited facilities. Despite repeated requests, there was no progress in establishing an airport in Peddapalli region.

On the industrial front, he said projects like industrial corridors and semiconductor manufacturing units, which were expected to come to Telangana, had been diverted causing losses to farmers and the public.