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BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Tuesday met Union Minister for Railways, Information Technology and Electronics Ashwini Vaishnaw and submitted detailed representations seeking the establishment of the Kazipet Railway Division, expeditious completion of key railway projects in Telangana, and enhanced Central Government support for reviving the State's Tier-2 IT ecosystem.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, KTR said that for the BRS, the development and progress of Telangana are more important than politics, and that the party would always raise issues concerning the interests of the people irrespective of political considerations. KTR urged the Union Minister to establish a Kazipet Railway Division as part of the ongoing restructuring of the South Central Railway. According to a press release, he proposed that the new division should include the Kazipet-Ballarshah, Peddapalli-Nizamabad, Kazpet-Errupalem, Dornakal-Manuguru, Mothumarri-Vishnupuram and Kazipet-Vangapalli railway sections, creating a division with nearly 2,000 track kilometres. He pointed out that railway employees have extended their full support to the proposal and observed that while Guntur Division functions with around 900 kilometres and Vijayawada and Guntakal Divisions have nearly 2,200 kilometres each, a Kazipet Division is both operationally feasible and strategically important. He also requested the Centre to examine the feasibility of establishing a Kothagudem Railway Division. KTR requested the Union Minister to accelerate the 151-kilometre Manoharabad-Siddipet-Sircilla-Vemulawada-Kothapalli Broad Gauge Railway Line, describing it as a long-standing aspiration of the people of Telangana, the release said. He recalled that the foundation stone for the project was laid when K Chandrashekar Rao was Union Labour Minister. Following the formation of Telangana, the BRS Government revived the project by providing free land acquisition, Right of Way and agreeing to bear one-third of the project cost, which enabled substantial progress. As a result, the 76-kilometre Manoharabad-Siddipet section was completed and commissioned on October 3, 2023. However, KTR expressed concern that construction of the remaining 75 kilometres from Siddipet to Sircilla, Vemulawada and Kothapalli "has slowed considerably" after the Congress Government assumed office. He said the Union Minister informed him that the project has been delayed because the Telangana Government has not released its pending contribution of Rs 511 crore, while nearly 96 hectares of land acquisition also remain pending. The press release further stated that KTR noted that project costs have escalated from Rs 1,160 crore to nearly Rs 2,780 crore, underscoring the need for immediate intervention. He emphasised that the railway line is crucial for Sircilla, one of Telangana's major textile hubs, and Vemulawada, home to the famous Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple, which attracts lakhs of devotees every year. KTR also requested the Centre to include Sircilla and Vemulawada Railway Stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, approve a Rail-cum-Road Bridge across the Mid Manair Reservoir, complete electrification of the Kothapalli-Manoharabad Railway Line, and constitute a high-level coordination committee comprising officials from South Central Railway and the Telangana Government for continuous monitoring of the project in line with the Prime Minister's PM Gati Shakti vision. KTR informed that he also submitted a separate representation seeking Central Government support for strengthening Telangana's Tier-2 IT ecosystem, the release said. He said that between 2014 and 2023, the BRS Government pursued balanced regional development by expanding the IT sector beyond Hyderabad with the objective of creating quality employment, reducing migration and promoting inclusive economic growth. The BRS Government introduced the Rural Technology Centres Policy and GRID Policy in 2020 with a target of creating nearly 50,000 technology jobs in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Modern IT Towers were established in Warangal, Karimnagar, Khammam, Nizamabad, Mahabubnagar, Siddipet, Adilabad and Nalgonda, while leading companies such as Cyient and Tech Mahindra commenced operations in Warangal. KTR expressed concern that IT expansion has slowed over the past two years, occupancy levels in IT Towers have declined, and some companies have scaled down their operations. He stated that while Telangana had 9.46 lakh IT jobs during the BRS Government, IT employment has declined by nearly 7,000 jobs under the Congress Government. The release said that he requested the Union Minister to establish an IndiaAI Centre/IndiaAI Data Lab in Warangal, sanction an STPI Centre of Entrepreneurship in Karimnagar or Khammam focusing on Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Semiconductor Design and Deep Tech, and establish an additional STPI Centre in another Tier-2 city. KTR further urged the Centre to utilise the existing IT Tower infrastructure for implementing AI and Digital Innovation initiatives across Telangana's districts. He expressed confidence that with Telangana's policy framework and infrastructure already in place, Central Government support would help transform the State's Tier-2 cities into vibrant centres of technology, innovation and employment while creating a model for balanced digital development across the country, the release said. (ANI)
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