HYDERABAD: In a major move to upgrade urban infrastructure, the Telangana state Cabinet has approved the expansion of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.
The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, cleared the merger of 27 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) located within and around the Outer Ring Road (ORR).
The ULBs to be merged are Pedda Amberpet, Jalpally, Shamshabad, Turkayamjal, Manikonda, Narsingi, Adibatla, Thukkuguda, Medchal, Dammaiguda, Nagaram, Pocharam, Ghatkesar, Gundlapochampally, Thumkunta, Kompally, Dundigal, Bollaram, Tellapur, Ameenpur, Badangpet, Bandlaguda Jagir, Meerpet, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Jawahar Nagar and Nizampet.
To facilitate the merger, the Cabinet decided to amend the GHMC Act and the Telangana Municipal Act.
Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Jupally Krishna Rao and Vakiti Srihari outlined several key resolutions. Sridhar Babu announced that the government will lay underground power cables across Hyderabad by dividing the city into three electricity circles.
Rs 15K cr underground cable network in city, new DISCOM proposed
The project is estimated to cost `14,725 crore, according to preliminary assessments. Along with power cables, T-Fiber and other network cables will also be routed underground.
The government will soon begin discussions with companies for implementation.
The Cabinet approved the establishment of a third DISCOM, in addition to SPDCL and NPDCL, to supply power to agriculture, irrigation schemes, Mission Bhagiratha, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), and other drinking water programmes.
IT and Industries Minister Sridhar Babu said the new DISCOM will address structural issues within the current system and help strengthen the power utilities.
The Cabinet held an extensive discussion on the state’s power requirements over the next 50 years.
Key decisions include: Calling tenders for 3,000 MW of solar power to boost renewable energy production and inviting tenders for 2,000 MW of pumped storage power.
The minister noted that Telangana has limited suitable locations for pumped storage plants. The Cabinet decided to approve companies willing to set up such plants and to review MoUs signed with DISCOMs.
Approvals will be granted for pumped storage projects totaling 10,000 MW, with the government providing water and land on the condition that the generated power is sold exclusively to Telangana DISCOMs.
The Cabinet also agreed to expedite approvals for companies seeking permissions for captive power generation.
The government cleared a proposal to establish an 800 MW thermal power station at Ramagundam in collaboration with NTPC.
Officials were instructed to study the feasibility of additional power plants at Palvancha and Makthal.
The Ramagundam proposal addresses a long-standing demand for a coal-based thermal power unit in the region, aiming to strengthen regional power infrastructure and support the state’s growing industrial and residential electricity needs efficiently.