HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced that a “Mega Master Plan-2050” would be prepared shortly for the entire state. Stating that the master plan was limited to Hyderabad only till now, he pointed out that more than 40% of the people live in urban areas and the entire Telangana has now become like a city. There was a need to prepare a master plan for the entire state, the chief minister said.
Addressing a meeting after inaugurating the Telangana State Disaster Response & Fire Services headquarters building at Nanakramguda here on Sunday, Revanth said the state would be divided into three parts and development works would be taken up accordingly.
He outlined the development strategy into three distinct categories: the urban area within the Outer Ring Road (ORR), encompassing the city limits of Hyderabad; the peri-urban region extending from the ORR to the Regional Ring Road (RRR); and the rural village areas spanning from the RRR to the state border.
He said that between the ORR and the RRR, 10–15 clusters would be developed into cities, as was done in Bangkok.
While appealing to residents to not fall for rumours of the Hyderabad Pharma City being shelved, Revanth said the previous government had planned the project in an urban area while the present administration was planning to do the same in a rural area, allowing for decentralisation.
The Pharma City being close to the international airport was not a good idea as it would “pose a danger to the very existence of the city”, the chief minister said.
Stating that the Pharma City was planned in 25,000 acres of land, the chief minister recalled how residents of Dilsukhnagar had suffered a lot when the Siris factory was set up in just 30 acres of land there in the past. The proposed 25,000 acres earmarked for the Pharma City would be used for developing satellite townships, health tourism, electric vehicle manufacturing units and others, he said.
The Pharma City will now be established in rural areas near major roads such as Hyderabad-Vijayawada and Hyderabad-Mumbai, covering 2,500 acres to 3,000 acres. This strategic placement aims to minimise pollution concerns. With limited investors involved, the government will hold them responsible for any pollution-related issues. Revanth also clarified that the Airport Metro project would be continued as well.
‘Apara medhavini anukonu’
The Chief Minister said that he would take suggestions from intellectuals in various fields while undertaking the development works. “Memu medhavulam ani anukonu. Apara medhavaulam ani anukunte, Medigadda laagaa avutundi (We don’t consider ourselves as intellectuals. If we think we have super brains, Medigadda would repeat),” he mentioned, adding that he would take advice from officials on governance.
While stating that some were claiming that decisions in the MA&UD department would be delayed as the chief minister holds the portfolio, Revanth quipped, “I need some time to study the departments. If we signed the files without a study, we would be along with Balakrishna (who was arrested by ACB recently).”
Following the 3 CMs
Lauding the good decisions taken by his three predecessors, the Chief Minister said that he would take lessons from their experience, continue their decisions and try for the further development of Hyderabad.
Revanth said that former chief ministers N Chandrababu Naidu, YS Rajasekhara Reddy and K Chandrasekhar Rao, who led the state for 10 years each, maintained law and order and ensured that there were no communal clashes. If the law and order situation is maintained properly, then only the city would get investments, he said.
Despite their political and personal thinking, the three CMs made good decisions, Revanth said. He assured that he would continue the same tradition and try for the faster development of Hyderabad.
Recalling that the Inner Ring Road (IRR) was completed by the Congress government, the Chandrababu Naidu government completed the ORR conceived by the YSR government. The previous BRS government planned the RRR and the Centre too cooperated for the same. However, the construction was delayed due to some reasons, the CM said while explaining that he took up the matter with the Centre recently.
The Centre agreed to help with a part of the RRR, he mentioned. The funding and land acquisition was completed for the same. “The Centre has in principle agreed to the second part of the RRR too. There should not be any misgivings over the RRR. The government would complete it,” Revanth said.