HYDERABAD: IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Wednesday criticised Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for choosing Bundelkhand, instead of Hyderabad-Bengaluru, to establish defence industrial production corridor.
Speaking at Telangana CII’s Annual Session and Leadership Summit Conference, he said that two years ago, when the Central government conceptualised the defence industrial production corridor, he met the then Defence Minister Sitharaman and spoke about the possibility of bringing this corridor to the State.
“I told Sitharaman that the most logical destination for this to happen in India because of the existing growing ecosystem is between Hyderabad and Bengaluru, especially given the presence of a large number of defence PSUs here,” he said.
“Sitharaman said that she has already chosen Bundelkhand for the corridor. I asked on what basis this place has been selected and she replied she wants Bundelkhand and Uttar Pradesh to be developed. I am not against the growth of my sister States -- UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. I only want the Centre to support the growing eco-system,” he said. The Minister blamed the Centre for ignoring requests made by the State government and for not providing any support to the industrial parks.
“Adopting innovation strategies, the government of Telangana registered tremendous growth. The State is also fast emerging as a granary of India and all stakeholders need to work together in impacting the society in a positive way,” he said.
Describing Telangana as the most successful start-up in the country, he said: “At the time of bifurcation in 2014, annual per capita income of Telangana was Rs 1,24,000. Today it is Rs 2,78,000, an increase of 125 per cent.”
“In 2014, the State GDP was Rs 5 lakh crore. Since then it has increased by 130 per cent to be at Rs 11.54 lakh crore. According to RBI’s Statistics report, Telangana is the fourth largest GDP contributor in the country with only two per cent of the country’s population residing in the State. Telangana is being governed with the mantra of three ‘I’s -- Innovation, Infrastructure and Inclusiveness,” he added.