Cities economic growth engines of Telangana: KTR

Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Friday said cities have become economic growth engines for the development of the State and country. The geographical area of Telangana is 1.12 lakh sqkm and due to rapid urbanisation in the last 10 years coupled with the formation of new municipalities and merger […]

Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Friday said cities have become economic growth engines for the development of the State and country. The geographical area of Telangana is 1.12 lakh sqkm and due to rapid urbanisation in the last 10 years coupled with the formation of new municipalities and merger of villages with them, 45 per cent to 50 per cent of the population was residing in cities, he said, during a short discussion on ‘Pattanna Pragathi’ in Telangana Legislative Council here.

“Hyderabad is spread over 675 sqkm while 141 municipalities in 2,000 sqkm totalling to only three per cent of the geographical area of Telangana. In all, 50 per cent of the population is staying in three per cent of geographical area,” he said.

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This resulted in more pressure on creating infrastructure facilities in cities. “We are getting 65 per cent to 70 per cent of GSDP from cities because of more employment and education opportunities coupled with migration,” he explained. From 68 municipalities earlier, Telangana is now having 142 municipalities. It was the municipal workers, who rendered valuable services during the Covid-19 pandemic apart from the staff of Health and Police Departments.

Municipal workers did not get salaries for three to four months during the Congress regime in undivided Andhra Pradesh. However, the TRS government increased the salary of the workers to Rs 12,000 and paying them promptly with ESI and PF facilities.

People residing on the outskirts never used to get drinking water for 15 days. But after TRS came to power, the water supply levels were improved and the city is getting 602 MGD as against 342 MGD before the State formation, registering a 75 per cent increase in water supply, the Minister informed.

“We are now able to supply water to residents on the outskirts on alternate days,” Rama Rao said, adding that plans have been chalked out to supply drinking water daily. Efforts are also on to supply drinking water house-to-house in 142 municipalities excluding Hyderabad at a cost of Rs 5,378 crore. Meanwhile, Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, during a discussion on ‘Palle Pragathi’ explained in detail about various development works taken up in villages for the last seven years.