Hyderabad, February 03: In a bid to keep the (MIM) in good humour, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today announced several sops for development of the old city and uplifting of poor Muslims. Houses would be built for slum-dwellers in Hyderabad under the Rajiv Awas Yojana by spending Rs.1,000 cr, he said.
Addressing a public meeting in connection with the Rachabanda at Barkas in the old city, he said despite severe financial constraints, the government was giving scholarships to about 2.20 lakh Muslim students with Rs.340 cr.
He announced sanction of Rs.20 cr to the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) for taking up developmental works in old city.
Following a request by the MIM for a separate sports body for old city to encourage sports among the youth, the Chief Minister said a separate wing would be set up in QQSUDA and necessary funds would be provided.
He agreed to release Rs. 3.50 cr to the Nizamia Tibbi Unani Hospital and Rs.1 cr to the Barkas hospital. A branch of the National Academy of Construction (NAC) would be established in the old city to train youth in construction-related jobs. He asked the district collector to identify a suitable site for the NAC centre. Thirty acres in the Baba Sharfuddin Dargah would be given to the WAKF Board for construction of a Haj House, he said.
Out of the Rs. 2,000-cr special package for the old city, Rs.1,000 cr worth of developmental works had been completed, while works worth Rs. 600 cr were under various stages of completion. The remaining Rs. 400 cr would be released soon, he said.
HYDERABAD METRO RAIL PROJECT: The Chief Minister promised a good package to the building owners, traders and hawkers affected by the metro rail project. Already the project got delayed by more than three years, he said.
INQUIRY: An inquiry would be ordered into the recent attack by prisoners on the Cherlapalli jail staff, the chief minister said. The SEZ in 100 acres belonging to WAKF and Housing Board (50 acres each) will be continued as SEZ. The income from it will be given to WAKF to run its activities.
Ministers J Geeta Reddy, Danam Nagender, Mukesh Goud, MIM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and others also spoke.
–Agencies