Vinod Kumar slams Revanth Reddy’s Vision 2047 panel, questions zoning plan

BRS leader Vinod Kumar criticised the Congress government’s Vision 2047 advisory panel. He alleged lack of Telangana representation and called the zoning plan Hyderabad-centric. The opposition demands review of “faulty” decisions sidelining rural Telangana cities.

Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader and former MP B. Vinod Kumar on Friday called the Vision 2047 advisory panel constituted by the Congress government “anti-Telangana” for having virtually no representation from sons of the soil. He also termed the proposed division of the state into three zones “ill-conceived and unscientific.”

Addressing a news conference at Telangana Bhavan, he said the advisory panel meant for preparation of Telangana Vision-2047 document did not follow any scientific norms and the proposed division of the state into three zones has no scientific basis. The two decisions taken in the review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister were ill-conceived.

---

Stating that there was no place for Telangana natives in the advisory panel, Vinod Kumar questioned why not a single son or daughter of Telangana soil could figure in the 30-member advisory panel except Mohan Guruswamy.

“Even the similar panel constituted by Sonia Gandhi in the past had two eminent Telangana personalities — Hanumantha Rao and Jayaprakash Narayan,” he pointed out.

He highlighted that Telangana professionals are serving as advisors to the US government and several other countries, and many showed extraordinary commitment during the COVID-19 crisis.

“The Telangana Vision document must give due representation to Telangana intellectuals and experts even now,” he demanded. He wondered whether Revanth Reddy himself finalised the panel or someone else dictated the names.

He said the state zoning plan was more Hyderabad-centric. He objected to the proposed division of Telangana into three zones calling the nomenclature and concept completely unrealistic.

“This zoning reflects a Hyderabad-centric development approach. It will push back potential cities like Warangal and Mahabubnagar and neglect rural Telangana. It appears to be a conspiracy to sideline the rest of the state except Hyderabad,” Vinod Kumar alleged.

He described the zoning decision as “faulty” and urged the Chief Minister to review all wrong decisions in the next meeting scheduled for December 9.