Fears on missile testing centre allayed

Choutappal (Nalgonda): Allaying fears over the upcoming missile testing centre at Rachakonda forest area on the borders of Nalgonda and Rangareddy districts, Executive Director of Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) Dr N K Raju said here on Saturday that the missile testing centre would not harm the environment and people and nobody needed to worry over it. After inaugurating the community protected water supply scheme built by Naandi Foundation with the financial aid from BDL at Sansthan Narayanapuram village, Dr Raju said that the BDL had extended Rs. 80 lakh to construct protected water plants to provide drinking water to the villagers of Narayanapuram, Peepal Pahad and Janagam village to free the villagers from the effects of fluoride. He said that as part of the corporate social responsibility, the BDL has embarked upon the a massive plan with Rs. 3.5 crore to provide drinking water, mobile hospitals and lavatories in addition to the midday meal in 15 schools in 15 mandals. He said that the people should appreciate such non-profit development programmes. Recalling the earlier efforts by Army and Defence departments to establish an army firing range which was stopped due to the agitations, he said that the BDL firing range is entirely different from army firing range. He said that the missiles were useful to deter the terrorists from entering the Indian territory. He said that Rachakonda forest area was the right place to shift the missile manufacturing unit and testing range from Shamirpet. He said that the missile manufacturing unit is being set up in 600 acres at Ibrahimpatnam in Rangareddy district. "But Rachakonda is the right place to test the missiles instead of carrying them to far off places for testing," he added. Appealing to the politicians not to mislead the people in this respect, he said that the State Government was already requested to allot land for the testing range. He reiterated that the testing range would not be harmful to the people or environment.A Sansthan Narayanpur Tahsildar Jayamma and other officials were present.