A Bench of the Supreme Court in Hyderabad, remerging five Andhra Pradesh villages with Telangana and revival of the Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR) project in Hyderabad, were some of the major promises made by the Congress party in its Telangana-specific manifesto released on Friday.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) incharge for Telangana Deepa Dasmunsi released the manifesto along with Minister for Information Technology and Industries, D. Sridhar Babu, who is also the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee, Advisor to state government Vem Narender Reddy and other leaders.
The ruling party promised to implement the commitments made to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and 23 other promises made in the manifesto.
Sridhar Babu said that the manifesto has been released keeping in view the requirements of the state.
He said once the Congress comes to power at the Centre, all the promises would be fulfilled.
The party promised to set up a rail coach factory at Kazipet, Bayyaram steel plant, mining university, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Hyderabad and a rapid railway system beside the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway as committed in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Five villages around Bhadrachalam, which were merged with Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation of the state in 2014 will be remerged with Telangana state in order to develop Bhadrachalam Sri Rama temple.
These villages were part of seven mandals which were transferred to Andhra Pradesh by the BJP-led NDA Government to facilitate construction of the Polavaram project by Andhra Pradesh across Godavari River.
The Congress has promised to revive the ITIR project in Hyderabad. The project was approved by the Congress-led UPA Government but was later scrapped by the NDA Government.
Sridhar Babu said this project would generate employment for lakhs of youngsters. He believes that the project would change the face of Telangana with the huge investments that the state would attract.
Other major promises include National Project status to Palamuru-Rangareddy, a regional office of the NITI Aayog in Hyderabad, establishment of new airports, Ramagundam-Manuguru railway lane, four new Sainik schools, increasing number of Kendriya Vidyalayas, doubling of Navodaya schools, National Sports University, establishment of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), establishment of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), establishment of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and establishment of the National Aviation University.
The manifesto also promised transfer of central funds directly to gram panchayats as per the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Indian Constitution.
Solar based electricity producing system for every house, Hyderabad-Bengaluru IT and Industrial Corridor, Hyderabad-Nagpur Industrial Corridor, Hyderabad-Warangal Industrial Corridor, Hyderabad-Miryalaguda through Nalgonda Industrial Corridor and Singareni Industrial Corridor, international standard cultural and entertainment hub, national status for Medaram Sammakka- Saralamma Jatara and new dry port are the other key promises.
The manifesto also mentions panch nyay or five justices listed in the party’s national manifesto released last month.