RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: Sircilla is undoubtedly one of the high-profile constituencies in Telangana as it is being represented by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son and IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao, who is also the working president of the BRS. Overall, a majority of the people in the constituency have expressed their satisfaction with various development works implemented in Sircilla and the promises fulfilled by Rama Rao.
Owners of the units in the textile park, however, are seeking power supply at Rs 1 per unit for five years as they are planning to establish modern looms, pre-and post-processing weaving industries, and air and water jets. The state government can easily make up the power subsidy burden by earning revenue through GST as Sircilla has the potential to become a textile hub like Tirupur town in Tamil Nadu, according to Sircilla Textile Park Cloth Manufacturer Association president Annaldas Anil Kumar.
Rajesham, a powerloom worker, is waiting for his transformation as the owner of a unit one day. The construction of a shed has been completed at Peddur on the outskirts of Sircilla town, but the installation of powerlooms is yet to take place to implement the “worker-to-owner” concept as part of which those working in powerloom units can run their own facility.
House tax exemption
The residents of seven villages that were merged in the Sircilla municipality about five years ago are seeking house tax exemption. Though KTR has promised that there would be no increase in house tax and hassle-free permissions for house construction, the civic authorities have not given any relief to the villagers.
Sura Devaraj, a former MPTC member hailing from Chandrampeta, one of the villages merged in the Sircilla municipality, said that neither is there any relief to the residents in house tax payment nor have the authorities made house construction permissions any easier.
The residents of Shanthi Nagar in Sircilla live in dread of the rainy season as the colony faces waterlogging. “We need a permanent solution to the problem,” said Parushram, a resident.
The weavers, who constitute 80,000 voters in the constituency, are crucial to the victory of a candidate. KTR has won every election since 2009, including the 2010 byelection. “I have developed Sircilla beyond expectations and improved employment opportunities for weavers in the constituency. Not a single Weaver suicide case has been reported in the constituency. I am proud to say that Sircilla has gained national and international fame for Rajanna-Siripattu sarees and textile product exports to the US,” said KTR.
Water surplus district
Another feather in the constituency is water management methods. The transformational journey of Sircilla from being a drought-hit region to a water surplus district has now become a model and a case study. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie has included Sircilla Water Management as a topic for trainee IAS officers.
Since 2009, Sircilla town has witnessed a vast change. Apart from the laying of two bypass roads, a medical college has been established in the town. A mini stadium has also been built. A first-of-its-kind KG-to-PG educational institution has come up in Gabhiraopet in the constituency. An agriculture college, JNTU College of Engineering, and C Narayana Reddy digital library for unemployed youth to prepare for competitive examinations have also been set up.
The area hospital has been upgraded to the district hospital where a dialysis facility has been made available. A mini tank bund developed at Kothha Cheruvu has added attraction to Sircilla town. Congress candidate KK Mahender Reddy promised a women’s degree college for Sircilla and the construction of the Sircilla-Thangallapalli bridge. He also vows to end illegal sand transportation and a sand policy for villagers, apart from finding a permanent solution to stop flooding in some areas of Sircilla town during the rainy season.
BJP candidate Gogula Ranirudrama is focusing on the issues the residents face in the villages that were merged in Sircilla municipality and she is hoping to capitalize on the Central government welfare schemes benefiting the people.