Hyderabad: TPCC General Secretary Dr Sravan Dasoju has alleged that the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR), approved by previous UPA Government, remained a non-started due to the wrong priorities of present TRS Government.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday, Sravan accused IT Minister K. Tarakarama Rao of sabotaging the ITR project which could have provided direct and indirect employment to lakhs of Telangana youth.
“The selfish and dubious priorities of TRS Government are destroying the fortunes of Telangana State,” he said while adding that it was highly unfortunate that TRS Government has deliberately neglected ITIR.
Sravan explained that the ITIR was conceived by the then Congress Government in undivided AP in 2013. “ITIR was approved by UPA Government due to the persuasive efforts of Congress leaders of Telangana.
After a lot of research and investigation, the ITIR’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared and the same was approved by UPA Government,” he informed.
He questioned the audacity of TRS Government to revise the DPR? “Why ITIR DPR revision was not discussed in the Assembly? Why such unilateral decision of revising already approved DPR?” he asked.
Blaming KTR for the meaningless revision of DPR and HMDA Masterplan, he said that the Central Government was delaying the project for want of cabinet approval. “KTR is answerable for such irrational decision of revising the approved DPR. Just for the heck of having the brand of KCR, DPR was revised and it was a foolish act,” he said.
Sravan said that the previous Congress Government had already identified 50,000 acres of land in five zones in and around Hyderabad for the ITIR projects.
The Congress leaders said that the ITIR was designed to attract global investments of more than Rs 2.20 lakh crores both in IT/ ITES and Electronic Hardware Manufacturing sectors. It had the employment potential of 15.4 lakhs direct jobs and around 54 lakhs indirect jobs.
All together, direct and indirect revenues would have been around Rs 7 lakhs crores. “ITIR was planned to change the fortunes of not only the youth of Telangana, but would have become global destination for IT and Electronic Sector.
With ITIR, the Telangana would have emerged as China or Korea or Silicon Valley of USA. But KTR deliberately failed ITIR because of his negligence and false priorities,” he alleged.
Stating that when crores of rupees are available for irrigation and Mission Bhagiratha, Sravan asked KTR as to why he was unable to mobilise funds for the ITIR?
“If Government of India, is unwilling to support either this should be fought in the parliament or the TRS govt should be able allocate that much of funds. Of the total outlay of around Rs 13,000 crores, the Central Government’s share is only about Rs 3000 crores.
The remaining amount needs to be spent by the State Government,” he said.
He said that the tone and tenor of the letter written by KTR to GoI is only to indulge in mere blame game. It also shows that he was shrugging off from his responsibility.
He opined that the KTR’s letter implicitly indicates that he wants an official communication from GoI that the ITIR project is permanently shelved so that he could escape from his failure. He demanded that KTR publish a White Paper on the ITIR.
He said that the Congress party would launch agitation for the implementation of ITIR project.
He said that the TRS Government has failed to provide the promised jobs to unemployed youth and by deliberately failing ambitious projects like ITIR, it was also cutting down the potential for lakhs of jobs in future. (INN)