Source: Times of India July3, 2014
HYDERABAD: In the days running up to his swearing-in on June 2, the first chief minister ofTelangana had laid out exhaustive plans of developing India's 29th state. Most of this spoke of growth across the state's 10 districts, without singular focus on the joint capital.
Exactly a month later, that initial plan seems to have been conveniently shifted. Instead, K Chandrasekhar Rao, has embarked on a rigorous `Brand Hyderabad' journey, roping in all his resources to focus on doing just one thing: building and strengthening the image of Hyderabad.
In fact, his government has now drawn up a 'revamp' project, worth close to a staggering Rs 40,000 crore, to be implemented in the city over the next few years, to especially boost its Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR).
Of the total sum, a whopping Rs 13,000 crore alone will be flushed into the 202 square km-wide (sq km) ITIR area, said officials involved in preparing the estimates, to be presented to the government.
KCR has also, recently, asked various state departments, including the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) to come up with proposals to beef up their operations in the city in general and ITIR in particular.
While some are believed to have already submitted their plans, others are still in the process of doing the needful.
A quick scan of a few of these readied plans, sources say, indicate the need for big bucks. According to them nearly Rs 33,000 crore will be required to only to set up water supply and sewerage networks in the city, including ITIR, and complete the Regional Ring Road (RRR). In fact, only water supply and sewerage work, official sources said would cost the state about Rs 18,000 crore.
They indicated that 90 MGD water would be required in ITIR alone. Further, another Rs 7,000 crore (approx.), they said, will be needed for laying infrastructure and electricity, together with beautifying and providing security in Hyderabad, with special focus on the IT corridor.
But the money isn't likely to be a deterrent to the government. Or so it seems given IT minister, K Taraka Rama Rao, has already ordered the HMDA to take up 290km RRR works immediately. Subsequently, the Authority has appointed a consultant to prepare a detailed project and feasibility report.
"Our initial estimation for completion of the RRR would be around Rs 15,000 crore, including the cost of land acquisition. But we will be able to arrive at a final only after detailed estimation," a senior consultant of HMDA said.
The RRR is being taken up in extended areas of erstwhile HUDA, keeping in mind the future growth of these areas.
The road will pass through villages like Toopran, Narsapur, Sangareddy, Daudguda, Gundelaguda and Bibinagar. The consultant will prepare a report with the details like exist ing land use and village settlements, mapping of proposed RRR alignment, water bodies, religious structures, road crossings, major pedestrian and bridges.
Apart from RRR, work on radial roads connecting the inner ring road to the outer ring road is also likely to be taken up soon, at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore.
"Detailed project reports for nine radial roads are being drawn up while the remaining seven will be taken up in the next phase," B Anand Mohan, chief general manager, HMDA, told TOI.
While GHMC will take up the assignment of strengthening the road network, along with laying drains, and culverts within its jurisdiction, similar works outside the GHMC limits will be carried out by the APIIC, together with Roads and Buildings and HMDA. The total worth of their works would be a neat Rs 3,000 crore.
Similarly, the TSSPDCL too has initiated the process of addressing the power requirements of the ITIR. It is expected to set up sub-stations and transformers and provide street lighting to the IT hub. Their total budget: Rs 2,111 crore.
"We have identified some locations for sub-stations. The total number of such stations and other requirements will depend on the power load," said G Raghuma Reddy, director (operations) of TSSPDCL.
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