HYDERABAD: Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao on Tuesday flayed the Centre for its lack of support towards industrial development in Telangana over the past six years, despite assuring the same under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
Replying to a question raised by M Janardhan Reddy and others during question hour in the State Assembly, the Minister said the Centre had not honoured the laws passed by the Parliament and failed to provide any assistance to the State till date.
He alleged that the Centre had not released any financial assistance to Telangana in the past six-and-a-half years and added that the laws made by the Central government in Parliament were being flouted, thus setting a bad precedent.
He lambasted the Central government’s claims of providing Rs 20 lakh crore under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package for industrial stimulus to overcome the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there was no benefit to Telangana with the Centre’s package except a few street vendors receiving loans of up to Rs 10,000 each, he said.
The Minister said that approvals were issued to set up 15,326 industries in the State under TS-iPASS in the past six years. Investments worth Rs 2,13,431 crore were attracted to the State under the scheme. The State government was committed to decentralisation of industrialisation and was promoting establishment of industries in backward regions of the State, he said.
Government mooting food processing units
Rama Rao said the State government was considering to establish food processing units in every constituency. The District Collectors concerned have identified locations for Special Food Processing Zones (SFPZ), and feasibility study reports are awaited, he said.
Replying to a question raised by P Sudarshan Reddy, the Minister said that food parks/clusters in 46 acres of land would be established through Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) in Narsampet of Warangal Rural district. The said land would be acquired by the District Collector at the earliest, he added.