Growth corridors for all districts on anvil

Hyderabad: All the 31 districts would get a big facelift in the Telangana State soon. A year after the creation of 21 new districts, the State government has devised a comprehensive development plan for each district aiming to promote them as investment hubs and potential growth corridors for future generations.

As a pilot project, the decentralisation of growth in the newly created districts had already been kick started in Warangal and Karimangar districts. The recently inaugurated Textile Park and IT zones in Warangal and Karimnagar districts respectively, stimulated the Telangana development.

Similarly, the state planning department finalised plans to exploit the available natural resources and skilled manpower in every district and promote them as growth centres . Ground work has already been taken up to promote the establishment of mineral rich industries in Khammam, Bhadradri - Kothagudem, Mancheriyal, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Mahabubabad and Rajanna Siricilla. These districts are rich in minerals like iron ore , coal, feldspar, quartz, sand and granite.

Nalgonda, Suryapeta and Yadadri Bhongir and old Karimnagar and Adilabad district are rich in lime stone. Kamareddy , Nizamabad, Shamshabad, Viakarabad, Nagarkurnool Medak, Siddipet and Nirmal were having abundant laterite and limestone minerals. The officials said that state Planning department in coordination with the Industries department was exploring options to set up industries inviting huge investments from the private sector. Certain clauses were already inserted in the TS-iPASS policy which has been brought on to force in 2015, for the promotion of the new districts as the future developmental hubs.

The agro-based industries particularly poultry, horticulture and animal husbandry related would be developed in Jangaon, Shashamaba, Sangareddy, Wanaparty, Suryapet, etc. Since Hyderabad has already emerged as a destination for recreation and tourist spots in the country, officials said that the proposal to promote the entertainment industry was under study.

The objective of decentralisation of growth was to address the backwardness of many districts and create jobs at the local level to prevent the migration of people for employment to Hyderabad and other places in the country.

On the instructions of planning department, the IT, industry, agriculture, horticulture, municipal administration and urban development departments were already holding a series of meetings with District Collectors to identify the locations in every district to setup industrial zones, development of infrastructure like power, water and road network connecting the growth corridors with major towns.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is likely to hold a meeting with all departments and district collectors by December end and announce the economic growth corridors in every district before the presentation of the budget (2018-19) in March in the State Assembly.