From trail-blazer to country’s Numero Uno

The Telangana Government enacted a historic Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self Certification System (TS-iPass) Act - 2014. Consequently, it has become the only State in the country to accord a legal right for the investor to get industrial clearance, provided all compliances are in order.

TS-iPass is a single window without grills clearance policy. Under the policy, thousands of units got permissions and crores of rupees worth investments came to the State generating employment for lakhs of people. The unprecedented flow of investments translate to Rs 1.25 lakh crore through 6818 industrial units that were given approvals, while providing direct employment to 5.38 lakh persons. As many as 4382 units have already commenced their production.

Handloom industry
Handloom industry in Telangana State occupies a unique place in the country for its exclusive art and artefacts of handloom weavers. The design patterns of Pochampalli Ikat’s, Gadwal Cotton, Narayanpet Cotton and silk saris, Warangal Durries, Karimnagar bed sheets and furnishings show the intricate workmanship of the State’s handloom weavers.

Providing further impetus to the sector, the Government is establishing a comprehensive Mega Textile Park at Warangal. So far, 22 investors have entered into a MoU with Telangana for establishment of units.

Because of all these efforts, the country’s youngest State secured top rank in "Ease of Doing Business” category. A redeeming feature of the new industrial policy is the additional support measures that are aimed at encouraging and nurturing entrepreneurship skills among SCs and STs as they face many structural barriers.

This initiative is being implemented under “TS-PRIDE” (Telangana State Program for Rapid Incubation of Dalit Entrepreneurs).

Irrigation projects
Redesigning and re-engineering irrigation projects were herculean in nature but the State Government took it up. Many of such projects are in the process of early completion. The government has given utmost priority for the irrigation sector to create water facility for one crore acres in the State. The works on Kaleshwaram, Palamoor Sitarama Lift Irrigation schemes are on a fast track. The government has also initiated works to revive the Sri Ram Sagar Project.

The Bhakta Ramadasu Lift Irrigation project has already been inaugurated, which has set a record for itself being the first-of-its-kind in the country to have been accomplished ahead of the deadline. This paved way for a golden harvest in the hitherto parched lands. The Government has taken up 23 major irrigation projects and 13 medium irrigation projects. Various measures are being taken for fast-track completion of these projects.

One of the key ongoing multi-purpose irrigation projects is the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project. On its completion, adequate water will be made available for irrigation, drinking and industrial use. All the irrigation projects are on fast track. When once water is provided full-throttle, the State farmers together will grow crops worth Rs 1,25,000 crores annually. So far, a new irrigation potential of 16.64 lakh acres is created and an ayacut of 8.97 lakh acres stabilized.

Mission Bhagiratha
Government has taken up Telangana Drinking Water Supply Project named “Mission Bhagiratha” with a commitment to provide safe, adequate, sustainable and treated drinking water for the entire rural and urban areas of the State. The project is envisaged to bring down disease burden, a causative factor for consuming contaminated water and improve health standards as well as family’s economic status thereby. The pride of Telangana State, Mission Bhagiratha is a role-model for the country.

Mission Kakatiya
The ancient minor irrigation system of Telangana was neglected due to priority assigned to major irrigation systems. As such, the minor irrigation system did not receive proper care and many of the tanks have become dilapidated. It was the dream of the Telangana people that the minor irrigation system should be rejuvenated. Taking it as a challenge, the TS Government has decided to rejuvenate all the 46531 minor irrigation water bodies through ‘Mission Kakatiya’. The determination of the government gets reflected from the fact that three fourths of the project has been completed so far.

Houses for poor
The government decided to provide houses for poor. Moved by the plight of people living in shabby houses and to provide dignity to the poor, the government took the path-breaking decision of providing Two-Bedroom Houses consisting of two bed rooms, a hall, a kitchen and two toilets to all eligible poor families in a phased manner without any beneficiary contribution. This is unprecedented and such a programme is being taken up only in Telangana State. Accordingly, 1,50,542 houses are in the process of completion out of 2,72,763 sanctioned.

Go-downs: To improve storage capacity of agriculture produce in the State, the government has embarked upon a massive programme for the construction of go-downs with a storage capacity of 17.08 lakh metric tons at 330 locations. The construction of many of these go-downs has been completed. On their completion, the storage capacity will reach 22.47 lakh metric tonnes.

Information technology: Telangana, more particularly, Hyderabad city is a major centre for Information Technology (IT) in the country. Telangana is home to major MNCs like Microsoft, Google, IBM, Oracle, etc., besides Indian IT majors like Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra, to mention a few. The government launched T-HUB in November 2015, which is a unique and innovative public- private partnership between Telangana and three of India’s premier academic institutions, namely, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Indian School of Business and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research.

T-HUB is designed for technology related start-ups and its mission is to create one of the brightest and most vibrant entrepreneur communities in the world to encourage start-ups. The government has taken initiatives to establish IT centres in two-tier cities like Warangal and Karimnagar, the foundations of which have already been laid.

Market committee reservations
For the first-time in the country, reservation policy is introduced in the market Committees benefitting the poor and marginalized sections in general and women in particular. The break-up of the reservations reads: 29% for BCs, 15% SCs, 6% STs and 33% for women. The government has also enhanced the honorarium paid to chairpersons of Market Committees ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000.

Development of roads
Roads are one of the basic modes of transportation as more than 80 percent of the goods and passenger traffic is carried on this mode. The government has embarked upon a task of providing quality road infrastructure by various interventions like connecting all habitations with all-weather roads; widening of roads connecting mandal headquarters with district headquarters; widening of major district roads, State Highways, Core Road Network; expansion of national highways. Under Roads and Buildings Department 1,970kms length of road connecting mandal headquarters to district headquarters and 4,665kms length of major district roads and State highways are being widened to widen the road.

Urban areas development
Urban areas have become growth centres of modern economies. With 40 percent of the State population living in urban areas, Telangana stands seventh in terms of urbanisation in the country.

The government has undertaken comprehensive initiatives to harness the potentials of urbanization into an economic growth opportunity.

It has been working on building robust urban physical infrastructure and other civic amenities. To provide excellent transport facilities, the government undertook works of the Strategic Road Development Plan as a top priority. The SRDP comprises skyways, major corridors, major roads and grade separators, flyovers with a cost of Rs.25000 crore and will transform Hyderabad city into a truly world-class city.

The government has given equal importance to the development of tier-II cities and towns. To ensure orderly growth of urban areas, Government launched the ‘Telangana Municipal Development Project’ and preparing Master Plan for all the urban local bodies in the State.

By: Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
(Writer is CPRO to Telangana CM)