E-Paper
Telangana Cong releases Lok Sabha poll manifesto with focus on state
The Telangana unit of Congress on Friday launched a state-specific manifesto for May 13 Lok Sabha elections promising establishment of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), revival of Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR) project and setting up of a southern bench of Supreme Court in Hyderabad
The Telangana unit of Congress on Friday launched a state-specific manifesto for May 13 Lok Sabha elections promising establishment of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), revival of Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR) project and setting up of a southern bench of Supreme Court in Hyderabad among other things.
State IT minister D Sridhar Babu, who is also the chairman of the manifesto committee of the Telangana Congress, released the manifesto in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Telangana Deepa Das Munshi and advisor to the state government Vem Narender Reddy at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday.
The Congress manifesto, which also recalled the “paanch nyay” (five justices) of the national manifesto, comprises at least 23 promises specific for Telangana for the Lok Sabha elections.
One of the major promises made in the manifesto is to remerge five villages of Bhadrachalam mandal (block) – Yetapaka, Gundala, Purushottam Patnam, Kannegudam and Pichukalapadu, with Telangana again. These villages were merged with Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation of the combined state in June 2014.
“We will take steps for transferring these five villages back to Telangana for the speedy development of the temple town of Bhadrachalam, once the Congress comes to power at the Centre,” Sridhar Babu said.
The IT minister said that the Congress would revive the ITIR project sanctioned for Hyderabad during the then PM Manmohan Singh-led central government, to develop a huge IT corridor and create employment for lakhs of youngsters. “The ITIR will change the face of Telangana given the huge investments that would be brought in,” Sridhar Babu said.
The Congress also promised to take up the rapid rail transit system running parallel to the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway as assured in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.
The other promises made in the manifesto include establishment of a railway coach factory in Kazipet which has been a long pending demand of Telangana, an integrated steel factory at Bayyaram in Khammam district, setting up of a mining university, granting of national project status to Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme, establishment of a regional office of the NITI Aayog in Hyderabad, approval of new airports and sanctioning of a new railway line between Ramagundam-Manuguru.
The manifesto also promised setting up of four new Sainik schools, doubling of Navodaya schools, National Sports University, establishment of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), establishment of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), establishment of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and establishment of the National Aviation University.
The party also promised the transfer of central funds directly to gram panchayats as per the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Indian Constitution, besides granting national festival status for the Sammakka Saarakka tribal festival.
