Industrial development on fast track in Khamamm: Puvvada

Industrial development was on a fast track in Khammam district creating employment to educated youth, he said

Khammam/Kothagudem: The 75th Independence Day was celebrated with gaiety and national fervour in the erstwhile Khammam district on Sunday with the public turning out in large numbers to witness the celebrations.

Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar hoisted the national flag at police parade grounds. He said with the measures taken up by the State government industrial development was on a fast track in Khammam district creating employment to educated youth.

As many as 130 applications have been submitted for setting up units in the proposed food processing zone in the district. An extent of 157 acres of land has been identified in Chintagurthi, Choyachelaka and Raghunathapalem areas for setting the food processing zone, he informed.

As part of industrial promotion around 292 industrial permissions were sanctioned to 200 industrialists during the year 2020-21. An amount of 178.80 crore would be invested by the industrialists offering employment to about 1418 persons, Ajay Kumar said.

Following a decision taken by the government to waive crop loans below Rs 50,000 as many as 33, 575 farmers would be benefitted as Rs 106.88 crore loans would be waived. For the year 2020-21, Rs 2,503 crore crop loans were extended to 2.94 lakh farmers.

To assist and guide the farmers on crop-related matters a special toll-free Kisan Call Centre was set up at the district collectorate. About 1254 agricultural training programmes have been organised at 129 Rythu Vedikas in the district, the Minister noted.

In order to give impetus to oil palm cultivation, the government-sanctioned Rs 105.6 lakhs to take up the crop in 880 hectares. Horticultural crops were being grown in about 1.40 lakh acres of land.

During the past seven years 9.26 crore saplings were planted under Haritha Haraam programme while 12.89 lakh saplings were planted in Palle Prakriti Vanams developed in 751 villages by spending Rs 7.09 crore, Ajay Kumar informed.

The minister distributed assets worth Rs 2.64 crore to beneficiaries under different schemes besides handing over a cash cheque of Rs Rs 106.88 crore to agriculture and bank officials towards crop loan waiver.

Dalit Bandhu to change lives of poor dalits: Govt Whip

Kothagudem: Dalit Bandhu Scheme which Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao will launch on Aug 16 would change the lives of dalit families in the State, Government Whip Rega Kantha Rao said.

Speaking after hoisting the national flag at Pragathi Maidan here on Sunday he noted that the scheme was going to be a model in the country in terms of dalit empowerment and helps to bring dalits into mainstream life.

Giving details of the progress of the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project he said ninety per cent of the works of pump houses were completed and nearly 70 per cent of concrete lining works were finished. The project is built with Rs 13,058 crore aims to irrigate lands in erstwhile Khammam and Mahabubabad.

Similarly works related to Sitamma Sagar multi-purpose project taken up with Rs 3,200 crore were under progress. A 320 MW capacity power plant would be built alongside the project, which would store around 36.57 tmc of water to irrigate 6.74 lakh acres of land, he said.
Kantha Rao informed that 100-acre land parcel was identified and acquired in the district to establish a food processing zone. As part of a waiver of below Rs 50,000 crop loan, an amount of Rs 64 crore was waived benefitting 20,073 farmers.

He said the State government has sanctioned 6,443 double bedroom houses to the district of which administrative sanction was given to 6,063 houses and tenders were called for the construction of 5,836 houses. 2,800 houses were completed while 2,901 houses were being constructed.

The Whip thanked the State government for sanctioning medical and nursing colleges to Kothagudem district. He said land for setting up the colleges was identified and a report was submitted to the government.