Hyderabad: Focus on urban infra boost

Hyderabad: The Government of Telangana State has been proactively focusing on development of urban infrastructure beyond Hyderabad region. It is exploring different ways and methods to develop other cities in the State. It has come up with Comprehensive Integrated Township Policy Rules 2020 to encourage and promote large-scale integrated development of self-contained townships.

Though the State government approved the policy a year-ago, it has so far identified two projects near the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Without citing their names, Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary - Municipal Administration and Urban Development, and Commissioner - Information and Public Relations, said that the government will provide incentives to these projects.

He informed that the government will promote growth and development of a 480-acre project and another 180-acre project outside ORR.

Leveraging the available infrastructure and the proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR), these two satellite townships will aid in spreading urbanisation in peripheral areas of the city and other parts of the State. Arvind Kumar further said, "Telangana government will soon set up an Urban Centre of Excellence (UCE) in Hyderabad. This will act as a think tank and hub for all urban related issues being faced by cities not only in India but across Asia. The government has already issued a request for proposal (RFP) and invited to submit the best possible designs for the UCE." Telangana has allocated 10 per cent of the municipal funds as the green budget every year. The State government has spent more than Rs 75,000 crore for creating infrastructure, roads and bridges across the city in the past seven years. It has also sanctioned another Rs 3,500 crore for setting up sewage treatment plants for processing more than 1,300-MLD waste water.

The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (CREDAI) Telangana Chairman Ch Ramchandra Reddy said that the State government is concentrating on development of infrastructure across the State. This is attracting more companies and led to employment generation, which automatically drives the real estate growth. He anticipates that the RRR connectivity will create a huge development scope across towns outside the ORR. He wants the government to develop road connectivity to the townships, and ensure good transportation options to the people. Then, the land rates will grow in the surrounding areas of the satellite townships. Speaking about the challenges, Ramchandra Reddy said: "It may take years for land pooling. The major task is to get consent from the households living in private lands and assigned lands. The conditions for layout approval such as minimum 100-ft road are not feasible. Earlier, approvals were given if the project has 30-ft internal roads."