ITIR project scrapped: Lying to people is in DNA of BJP, charges KTR

Hyderabad: Targeting the BJP-led Central government once again over its decision to scrap the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project for Hyderabad, IT Minister KT Rama Rao slammed that the BJP government was indulging in cheap politics. KTR demanded that the BJP government tender apologises to the youth of Telangana for failing to deliver on the promises it made. The BJP has no proper policy for skill development and job creation in the country, he lambasted.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should explain the loss incurred by Hyderabad due to scrapping of the ITIR project," KTR questioned.

It is to mention here that the Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced in the Parliament that ITIR project for Hyderabad was scrapped.

Training his guns at the BJP Government at the Centre for claiming to have sanctioned other projects, which were on par to compensate the ITIR Project, the IT Minister said the BJP Government had cheated the people of the country once again.

"It is in the BJP party's DNA to easily lie about anything and MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar has effortlessly done the same now" said KT Rama Rao in a statement here on Friday.

The Minister stated that BJP Government had scrapped the ITIR project because TRS was politically opposing the Centre. They are indulging in cheap politics, he slammed.

Due to the scrapping of ITIR project, Telangana IT sector had lost a great opportunity to grow further, he said, adding "There's no contribution from Central Government in the tremendous growth of IT sector in Hyderabad"

In 2008, the Central Government had proposed the ITIR project for Hyderabad and the same was approved in 2013.

"However, the BJP Government has proved to be a curse for Telangana as it shelved the project just like few other projects assured as per AP Reorganisation Act" said KT Rama Rao.

The Minister mentioned that along with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, he had personally made multiple requests to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other union Ministers during their every visit to New Delhi. There was no positive response even after continuous persuasion from Telangana, he said.

Vexed with no response from the Central Government, Telangana Government had submitted multiple representations to announce any scheme that would boost Hyderabad IT sector, on the lines of ITIR Project. But not a single rupee was sanctioned for Hyderabad's IT sector, he added.

Withstanding the adverse economic conditions forced on the country due to thoughtless, unwise decisions of demonetization, lockdown and overall policy paralysis, Telangana's IT sector had registered a higher growth rate than India's total IT growth, he said.

Telangana's IT ecosystem would have grown leaps and bounds had the ITIR been implemented, Rama Rao said, ridiculing the BJP Government for claiming to have scrapped a project dedicated for IT Sector development in lieu of other non-IT Projects.

BJP-ruled States like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh receive huge funds under various central schemes. But when it comes to Telangana, every rupee was counted and shown as a reason to scrap projects," the Minister slammed.

"What has the Modi Government given to Hyderabad as a replacement for the ITIR project? Prime Minister Narendra Modi must reply," demanded d KT Rama Rao.

Recently the Central Government sanctioned software parks to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Punjab, Jharkhand and Kerala. But Telangana deprived again, said the Minister.

"The Modi Government did not even sanction a rupee for the world's largest innovation campus – T-Hub. At least, now the Centre must sanction a project or package to Telangana as compensation for scrapping the ITIR project," demanded KT Rama Rao.