Hyderabad: Describing the Telangana State as a youngest state of India and its budget as a roadmap to the future, the Governor ESL Narasimhan said that the TRS government has the strength, resilience and commitment to address the needs of the people of the State.
The Governor addressed the joint sitting of both the Houses of Telangana Legislature on Thursday, to mark the commencement of the Budget Session. He stated that he has the hope that the government’s deliberations will be productive and fruitful during this budget session of 2016-17.
Stating that the government prepared this year’s budget after a detailed and meticulous exercise to ensure that the state’s resources were effectively utilized to address the needs of the people of Telangana and fulfill their aspirations, Narasimhan said that the TRS government completed 21 months of its journey on a successful note. The innovative policies and programes formulated and implemented by the government were attracting national and international attention.
He said that the government successfully resolved the inter-state issues on sharing Godavari river with Maharashtra by signing a historic agreement between the two states. In the context of bitter and protracted disputes on sharing of inter-state river waters, the pragmatic vision and statemanship evinced by the state government was indeed laudable and a model for other states to emulate. This augurs well for optimizing the use of water resources to harness it for the prosperity of all in the state.
The Governor detailed that the State has made commendable progress in all sectors. The economy of state was expected to grow at 11.7 percent in 2015-16, as per the advance estimates of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), as against the projected National growth rate of 8.6 percent. Telangana’s GSDP was estimated to be Rs.5.83 lakh crore in 2015-16 at current prices, which marks an important milestone in the growth of state economy. Although the primary sector involving agriculture and allied activities were likely to register a meager growth of 0.8 percent, due to the adverse seasonal conditions in 2015-16, the secondary sector involving industries and manufacturing, was likely to grow at 8.3 percent and the services sector was likely to grow at 14.9 percent over the previous year.
He said that the government identified priority needs of the people and apart from focusing on irrigation and power sectors, launched several flagship programs such as Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhageeratha and welfare schemes such as Asara pensions, revamped food security scheme, Kalyana lakshmi/Shaadi Mubarak, double bed room housing for poor etc. He said that the government was striving for the uplift of the backward classes and other economically backward sections, and it is proposed to extend the KalyanaLakshi scheme to these sections too.
Stating that the government has taken the bold and pioneering step to construct double bed room houses for all eligible families without any beneficiary contribution, discarding the earlier model of single room houses, so as to enable even a poor family to live with dignity and to secure the future of their children, the government sanctioned 60,000 houses across the ten districts and it was planned to take up one lakh 2 BHK houses in the GHMC area and one lakh similar houses in othedr parts of the State during 2016-17. The government intends to start four new super specialty hospitals at different locations in Hyderabad.
He said that the government was intended to strengthen the 108 scheme adding more vehicles, with advanced life support equipments and also by integrating it with police and transport departments and trauma center setup on the high ways. He said that the government is encouraging poly house cultivation of vegetables and flowers by providing 75 percent subsidy to cater to the needs of the vegetables and flowers growers and to enhance the productivity per unit area. The government also proposes to set up Telangana horticulture development corporation.
SHE Teams in All Districts
The government critically reviewed the Irrigation Projects and redesigned them wherever it was necessary, he said adding that Dr BR Ambedkar Pranahita project, Kaleswaram project, Sita rama, Bhakt ram Das Lift irrigation project, Mallanna Sagar, Konda Pochamma Sagar projects were some of the examples of the re-engineered projects. He said that Mission Kakatiya was a project that received widespread applause both nationally and internationally. Mission Bhagiratha was targeted to ensure water supply to 6100 villages and 12 municipalities by December, 2016. he said adding that the government committed to supply nine hours power supply to agriculture sector during the coming year and all arrangements were made n this regard. He said that the government proposed to install one lakh CCTV cameras in Hyderabad under the public safety measures act besides introducing ‘SHE teams’ of police force to prevent harassment of women and eve-teasing in Hyderabad and Cyberabad areas and planning to extend the scheme to all the districts.
At the end of his nearly forty minute speech, Narasimhan urged the public representatives to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of mutual cooperation by channelizing the patriotic energies of every citizen, and said every one has to work towards building a Bangaru Telangana. (NSS)
TS Govt to Build 2 lakh DB Houses during 2016-17; Water Supply to 6,100 Villages
