Revanth seeks Centre’s green nod for pending State projects

New Delhi / Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy requested the Union government to accord environmental clearances to all pending projects and also grant permission to convert all diesel buses in Hyderabad into electric vehicles.

During the meeting with Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy, the CM informed that the state government had already sent proposals to the Central Government requesting to allocate buses under the GCC method in the PM E-Drive scheme. The CM brought to the attention of Kumaraswamy the possibility of converting existing diesel buses into electric buses through retro-fitment by adding an electric kit. He also appealed to the Union Minister to allocate 2,800 buses allotted by the Central Government to Hyderabad under the retro-fitment model along with the GCC.

The Chief Minister requested Union Minister of Forest and Environment Bhupender Yadav to grant forest and environmental clearance to several development works which are being taken up by the state government in Telangana. He brought several issues to the attention of the Union Minister, which included the 161 projects which have been stalled due to non-receipt of clearance from the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment. The CM urged to give clearances for 38 projects under the Wildlife Protection Acts.

Revanth Reddy informed the Union Minister that most of the pending projects are launched in the remote areas and some of them are affected by Left-Wing Extremism. The CM apprised the Union Minister Bhupender Yadav of the delay in taking up construction of towers near national highways, agency areas, PMGSY and roads connecting neighbouring states due to non-receipt of clearance and permissions from the Union Ministry.

The CM also brought the issue of permissions related to the Gouravelli project to the attention of the Union Minister and appealed to grant permission immediately for the taking up the respective works. Bhupender Yadav responded positively to the Chief Minister's request.

Earlier, the CM also paid a courtesy call on Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma at the latter’s office in New Delhi. The CM and the Union Minister discussed many issues related to the state.