KTR takes dig at Centre's disinvestment policy

Hyderabad: Taking a dig at the Centre's disinvestment policy, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday said that while the State government's policy was start-up that of the government of India was 'pack up'.

Replying to a short discussion on 'Progress of Industries and IT in Telangana' in the Assembly on Monday, Rao took exception to the disinvestment policy of the Centre. He said weaker sections like SC, ST and BCs get reservations in public sector companies and if they are privatised these sections would lose employment opportunities. He informed that one Union Minister had written to the government to sell Rs 6 lakh crore worth properties of PSUs. "The BJP leaders here are talking about taking up a 'million march' for government vacancies, but there are 8.32 lakh vacancies in the Central government. They assured two crore jobs a year, but they are removing two crore jobs every year," he said.

The minister also targeted the Centre for failing to fulfil promises made under the AP Reorganisation Act. He listed promises like Railway Coach Factory at Warangal, Bayyaram Steel Factory at Khammam, Tribal University at Adilabad, IIIT in Karimnagar, Turmeric Board at Nizamabad. He said the State government had requested for five industrial corridors at five corners and alleged that not even a single corridor was sanctioned by the Centre.

Speaking on the IT sector, the minister said the top five IT companies of the world have their second largest offices in Hyderabad. Stating that the government cannot insist the companies on reservations, he said they were encouraging companies to provide jobs to local youth by giving additional incentives. like cut in sales tax, rebate in power charges. He said that three lakh youth got employment in the IT sector during the tenure of Telangana government. The minister said during the last six years, permissions were given to 17,300 industries. Of them over 13,000 started with an investment of Rs 2.20 lakh crore, which helped in providing employment to 16 lakh people (total employment 16 lakh through industries, three lakh through IT and 1.32 lakh through government vacancies) in the State. "We are not only competing with neighbouring States, but also with the neighbouring countries to attract investments. Without attraction, investment in such magnitude was not possible," said Rao. "No country in the world can give jobs to five per cent of their population. The target of the government is to provide 50,000 jobs in tier-II cities by extending IT companies. He assured MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi of locating IT companies in southern parts of Hyderabad.

Stating that the Centre was taking inspiration from the State, Rao said 'what the Telangana government does today India does it tomorrow'. "If India wants to compete with China, the governments need to think big; hence the Telangana government is coming up with the biggest textile park and biggest pharma city in the world". He said the existing industries were real brand ambassadors for any government and gave examples of few companies who have made repeated investments in the State. This was possible only through an able leader and stable government. He spoke of how the State has evolved to a power surplus State.