The Telangana government would establish food processing units across the state to ensure remunerative prices to farmers, Governor ESL Narasimhan said.
“Food processing units will be established across the state to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers. The responsibility of management of these units will be jointly done by the government, IKP (Indira Kranti Patham scheme) employees and women groups,” he said in his address to the joint session of the state legislature here.
The first session of the Assembly after the December 7 elections began on January 17.
The “Rythu Beema” life insurance and “Rythu Bandhu” investment support scheme have been introduced by the government for the benefit of farmers, he said.
The “Ryuthu Bandhu” scheme inspired other states to introduce similar schemes, Narasimhan added.
Observing that the state government has achieved success due to robust administrative policies, strict financial discipline and corruption-free governance, he said it has resulted in substantive growth in state tax and non-tax revenues.
“I take pride in pronouncing that during the first four years from 2014-2018, the state achieved 17.17 per cent compound annual revenue growth rate and during the current 2018-19 financial year the growth rate so far stands at 29.93 per cent,” he said.
Even in GST collections, Telangana stands first among all the states in the country, he added.
Under the government’s industrial policy of TS-iPASS, as on date, 8,858 industries were given clearances with an investment of Rs 1.32 lakh crore. They are providing employment opportunities to 8.37 lakh individuals. A total of 5,570 industries have started production.
He said the government is initiating measures to pay Rs 3,016 as allowance to unemployed youth.
A mega “textile park” will be coming up in Warangal to provide employment opportunities to handloom workers and textile hubs are proposed to be established in Siricilla and Gadwal.
The value of IT exports from the state this year reached Rs one lakh crore, he said.
Under the “Mission Bhagiratha” drinking water supply scheme, he said by the end of March 2019, work will be completed “in toto” and that every household will get safe and pure drinking water at their doorstep through tap.
The government spent Rs 77,777 crore on the irrigation sector and in the future, itwill undertake works to a tune of Rs 1,17,000 crore, he said.
With regard to the power sector, he said only 7,778 mega watts of power was available at the time of formation of state (in 2014) which has increased to 16,503 MW.
Recalling that the Telangana Assembly had passed a resolution for provision of 10 per cent reservation to STs and 12 per cent reservation to minorities, he said the government will continue to raise the demand with the Central government for implementation of the proposed reservations.
For administrative convenience and to speed up implementation of government programmes, 21 new districts (in addition to the 10 existing) have been formed, he said.
Two more districts, namely Narayanpet and Mulugu, would be created soon, the governor added.
“On the basis of new districts and to protect the rights of locals, the government has formed new zonal system, to enable locals to get 95 per cent of opportunities in all local cadre jobs,” he said.
The governor said the government brought in regulations forming seven zones and two multi-zones along with district cadres and added that recruitment in Telangana will take place in accordance with the provisions of new zonal regulation.
Expressing disappointment with the Governor’s address, leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) M Bhatti Vikramarka alleged it had nothing for the people to cheer.
The government has not spelt out when is it going to take up recruitment in a way that benefited the unemployed, he said.
BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao alleged that the Governor’s address would be a disappointment to the unemployed as it offered nothing concrete to them.
PTI
