Stressing the importance of not confining industrial growth in one area, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao suggested the need for convening an all-party meeting with concerned officials to discuss threadbare and come out with a comprehensive plan in this aspect.
Intervening during question hour, the Chief Minister agreed to the views expressed by BJP member G. Kishan Reddy for expanding the industrial growth to other areas like in and around Warangal, which was the second biggest city after Hyderabad in the State. Keeping this in view, the State government has formulated an industrial policy for setting up industries not only in and around Hyderabad but also in places like Warangal, Medak, RR District, Mahbubnagar and so on.
The Chief Minister pointed out that there was great scope for developing pharmaceutical industries as Telangana State could cater to 40 to 45 percent of drug production. He regretted that though Hussainsagar is a beautiful lake in the city, it has now become a stinking lake due to chemical effluents of pharma units in Jeedimetla, despite setting up treatment plants. A team of senior officials also went abroad to study how to check various industrial and chemical hazards.
Keeping in view the proposed industrial development in and around Hyderabad and Warangal, the Chief Minister the State government succeeded in getting sanction from the Union government for taking up a regional ring road of 330km. Since the government’s intention was to ensure that industrial growth should be allround and not confined to one particular area, the Chief Minister suggested to the IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao to convene an all-party meeting to seek suggestions in this regard.
Earlier, replying to a main question regarding promotion of industrial corridors, KTR said in addition to the National Investment Manufacturing Zone ( NIMZ), Medak and Hyderabad Pharma City (HPC), the State government was examining setting up of Industrial Clusters, especially on the Hyderabad-Warangal route. The Central government was also requested to include Hyderabad-Warangal Corridor under the recently approved National Investment Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).
Industrial clusters
The IT and Industries Minister further disclosed that three clusters were proposed on Hyderabad-Warangal Industrial Corridor. The cluster-wise details of industries to be established are: Yadadri Cluster: IT/ITES, Medical Hub, Mineral based industries, Dry Port – Logistic Hub and Transportation Hub; Jangaon Cluster: Mineral based industries, food processing units and leather-based industries and Warangal Cluster: IT/ITES, textile park, agro-based industries and institutional/educational cluster.
KTR said a Mega Textile Park (Kakatiya Textile Park) would come up in Warangal in 1,200 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 10,000 crore. Once completed, the textile park would create some one lakh jobs. With the concept of fiber to fabric, the apparel units coming up in the textile park would provide adequate job opportunities for women. (NSS)