Telangana: Investments made in infra should not be viewed as debt

Hyderabad: Minister for IT and Urban Development KT Rama Rao firmly said on Monday that the investments made in infra, which eases lives of the citizens and shows significant progress in the nation-building, should be considered as 'future development', but not debt.

Amidst the heavy rain lashing the city, the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly on Monday commenced with the Question Hour. In reply to questions raised by Qutbullahpur MLA Vivekanand (Qutbullahpur), Sudhir Reddy (L B Nagar) and Akbaruddin Owaisi (Chandrayangutta), pertaining to the Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP) in the City, the minister responded.

While strongly objecting to the Opposition's allegations that the government has pushed the State into a financial crisis, he said every rupee that the government spends on the manufacturing sector to develop infrastructure should be considered as future development instead of debt, adding that development represents the progress of nation-building.

'To reduce the traffic in the city, we have completed 22 flyovers and underpass ways with the investment of Rs 2,000 crore and started work of 24 link road projects. For the project, the government took Rs 5,900-crore loans. This should be considered as a future investment. The new roads will boost development and economic activities' KTR said, adding the second phase of SRDP planning was completed.

KTR stated that in the Old City, the Owaisi Junction was being developed at a cost of Rs 200 crore, along with other city flyovers. The total cost of development of all flyovers was an estimated Rs 10,000 crore. He said Chief Minister KCR had ordered development of the Outer Ring Road and its peripheral areas as part of the Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration project. The government planned to bring the Transferable Development Rights project to keep a check on the GHMC and HMDA.