Centre creating hurdles for IT growth in State: TRS

Hyderabad: The TRS on Monday accused the BJP government at the Centre of obstructing the growth of the IT sector in Telangana. The TRS MPs in Delhi stated that the Centre denied the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project promised to the State in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and dented the growth of the IT sector in the State. They demanded that the Centre compensate the State by sanctioning an equally viable project for Telangana.

Speaking to media persons in New Delhi on Monday, Chevella MP G Ranjith Reddy termed the Centre’s decision to scrap the proposed ITIR project as vindictive. He reminded that the proposal was taken up in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2008 and it was also assured under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. “Instead of implementing its promise, the Centre had altogether scrapped it though the State government was willing to provide complete support. The decision has shattered the dreams of scores of youth aspiring for employment in the IT sector,” he said.

He stated that notwithstanding the lack of support from the union government, the Telangana government took initiative and facilitated the growth of the IT sector. As a result, IT exports increased from Rs 57,000 crore to Rs 1.8 lakh crore since the State’s formation. “If the Centre supported the State by providing the ITIR project, Hyderabad would have outperformed all other cities in the country. It had not only denied the ITIR project but did not sanction even one of the 25 software parks established in the country over the last eight years,” he added.

Ranjith Reddy found fault with the Congress MPs for not questioning the Centre which has cancelled the ITIR project approved by the then Congress government at the Centre. He said rather than questioning the Centre, he said the Congress leaders were trying to divert the people’s attention by making wild allegations against the TRS government. He asserted that the borrowings by the State government were within the limits of Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) norms.

TRS Rajya Sabha members Badugula Lingaiah Yadav and Vaddiraju Ravichandra accused the union government of creating hurdles for Telangana at every juncture with political motives. They stated that the Centre refused to purchase paddy from Telangana citing irregularities and also denied release of funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) alleging unsanctioned works. When the TRS MPs tried to corner the union government on issues like GST hike, price rise and floods in Telangana, they have been suspended from the Rajya Sabha, they pointed out.