The Honourable Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao called on Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday afternoon and discussed various issues pertaining to state. These included among other things: Separate High Court for Telangana, Government of India funding support for Kaleshwaram Lift irrigation Project, speeding up state Railway Projects, allotment of defence land for construction of secretariat building, release of funds for backward districts development, sanction of IIM, funding support for ITIR, establishment of IIIT in Karimnagar district, establishment of Navodaya Vidyalayas in newly formed districts, approval for new zonal system etc. On each and every issue CM submitted separate letters to PM. Prime Minister positively responded on all the issues that were brought to his notice by CM. In all Chief Minister submitted 10 letters to Prime Minister. The details in brief are:
1. “we are constructing the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project which is a life-line for Telangana. I thank the Prime Minister for according various approvals from different ministries at an early date. The project built at an estimated cost of Rs 80,000 crores besides providing irrigation potential of 18 lakh acres additionally spreading over 20 districts will also provide water for drinking and industrial purposes. For completion of this project, in addition to Rs 25,000 crore budgetary provision, we procured loan from financial institutions to a tune of Rs 22,000 crores. We still are need of funds. Recognising the importance of Kaleshwaram project I request the PM to extend financial help of Rs 20,000 Crores from Government of India.
2. “As per section 97 of the AP Reorganization Act 2014, the provisions made under Article 371-D have been continued in the State of Telangana to provide equitable opportunities to the people belonging to different parts of the State. The Andhra Pradesh Public Employment Organization of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment Order, 1975 which was operational in the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh provided for 6 zones. After bifurcation, the zones V and VI are within the state of Telangana, while other zones are in the successor state of Andhra Pradesh. To take administration closer to the people, Telangana State Government had reorganized the erstwhile 10 districts into 31 districts. In the back drop of formation of new state with 31 districts, there is a need to issue a fresh Presidential Order adjusting zones, multi-zones and State cadre etc., under section 371-D of the Constitution of India. I request that suitable direction may kindly be issued to the Ministry of Home Affairs to amend the Presidential Order early”.
3. “After six decades of struggle, a new State of Telangana has been formed and is rising a long-cherished dream of Telangana. However, this dream remains unfulfilled as the Telangana State does not have its own separate High Court. I take this opportunity to request you to ensure that a separate High Court for Telangana is established at the earliest. All the institutions of the state including the Public Service Commission have been divided and both the states are having their own separate institutions except the High Court. The High Court at Hyderabad is contemplated to be common High Court for a short period in view of the lack of time to establish separate High Court for the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh at the time of Reorganization of Andhra Pradesh. At present out of 29 Hon’ble Judges in the High Court only 6 are from Telangana region. People of Telangana in general and Advocates in particular are eagerly looking forward for the High Court of their own and similarly the people of residuary State of Andhra Pradesh and Advocates want to have their own High Court. Hon’ble Union Law Minister has given an assurance on the floor of Parliament to expedite the process to have separate High Court. The process may be expedited, and the Law Ministry may be directed to take immediate steps for establishment of separate High Court for the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh without any further delay”.
4. “Railway network in Telangana State is below the national average. Various critical Railway Projects have been identified by Indian Railways and also jointly by Government of Telangana State and Indian Railways. The Land acquisition for Manoharabad-kottapalli project is taken up on top priority by the State government of Telangana and is in advanced stage. Railways may expedite for early completion of the project. For Akkannapet-Medak line Land acquisition is almost complete. Indian Railways may expedite the project for its early completion. The Bhadrachalam-Sattupalli railway project may also be expedited. The Kazipet-Vijayawada third line of electrification, Raghavapuram-Mandamarri patch tripling, Armor-Nirmal-Adilabad new Broad-Gauge Line may please be expedited. Doubling of Track in Secunderabad-Mahbubnagar, Secunderabad-Zaheerabad, Laying of new Railway line connecting Kazipet and Karimnagar may be completed early”.
5. “Government of Telangana has requested the Ministry of Defence, Government of India for transfer of defence lands (Bison / Polo grounds and Gymkhana grounds) in Secunderabad / Hyderabad to the State Government for construction of new Secretariat building, Strategic Road Development Projects (NH 44 and SH 1) and also transfer of Ac.7.58 defence land (net area) for construction of six lane alternative road proposed in lieu of Gough Road. Ministry of Defence has conveyed it’s “in principle approval” for transfer of the defence lands subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions by the State Government of Telangana. For which the state government has agreed. In the above back drop, I would like to request you to kindly instruct the Ministry of Defence to expedite the proposal of transfer of defence lands to Telangana State to enable the Government of Telangana to take up construction of new Secretariat building and also widen and improve roads passing through Cantonment Areas”.
6. “Government of Telangana, in pursuance Re-organization Act, has submitted proposal seeking assistance for the development of Backward Areas. Ministry of finance, Government of India has released three instalments of Special Assistance Grant of Rs.450 crores @ Rs.50 Crore for District for development of 9 Backward Districts of Telangana based on recommendations made by NITI Aayog. The release of 4th Instalment pertaining to 2017-18 is still pending with the Ministry of Finance. I, therefore, would like to request you to kindly direct the Ministry of Finance to release the 4th instalment relating to 2017-18 at the earliest”.
7. “Indian Institute of management may be sanctioned for Telangana State”
8. “Hyderabad has been selected under the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) scheme by the Government of India in 2013. State Government had submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) delineating land parcels to be covered under ITIR and identifying trunk Infrastructure Projects related to the land parcels. Some anchor companies have already started setting up industries. However, to my dismay, I read a news report recently that Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister of Information Technology, Government of India stating that GoI has dropped the ITIR Scheme. As you would appreciate if Government of India does not implement the ITIR Scheme after launching it five years ago, it will dent the credibility of the Government. I request that if Government of India intends to modify the scheme, it may do so for the future projects and not to affect the already sanctioned ones. I request that this matter may kindly be reviewed, and adequate funds sanctioned to the state to develop the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) in Hyderabad, as per the already approved scheme”.
9. “Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India is implementing an important Technical Education Development Programme by sanctioning Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs) under PPP model. There is an ambience of high quality technical education in and around Hyderabad, which I propose to extend to other major cities in Telangana State. As there is a NIT in Warangal, we deem that Karimnagar is most deserving place to establish IIIT. Karimnagar is an appropriate place to locate IIIT and as such I request you to sanction the same at the earliest”.
10. “As per the policy of the Government of India, one Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) has to be functioned in each of the districts all over the country. Government of Telangana has reorganized the districts in the year 2016 to make the governance more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the population to act as growth engines and more efficient delivery of services. We have carved out 30 districts from out of the erstwhile nine (9) rural districts Upon the district reorganization, only 9 districts namely Rangareddy, Siddipet, Komaram Bhim, Khammam, Warangal Urban, Karimnagar, Nagarkurnool, Kamareddy and Nalgonda are having existing Navodaya Vidyalayas. The rest of the rural districts do not have them. State Government will provide suitable required land for establishing above 21 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. I, request Government of India to sanction 21 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas to cover each of the Districts.
