Initiating a new urban administrative reform, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Friday launched a ward office system to address public complaints about civic services at the ward level.

Municipal Administration Minister K. Taraka Rama Rao launched the new system to facilitate decentralization and people-centric governance.

GHMC will have a ward office in each of the 150 wards. Led by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner, each ward office will have a team of 10 officials to meet the service levels published in the citizens charter.

KCR, who inaugurated the GHMC ward office in Kachiguda, said that the system aims to streamline civic services and ensure faster access for the residents of Hyderabad. By bringing services closer to the communities, the system enables the GHMC to swiftly address public issues and deliver efficient solutions.

The ward offices will be headed by Assistant Municipal Commissioners, responsible for overseeing various departments. A dedicated team of 10 officers from departments such as road maintenance, sanitation, entomology, town planning, electricity, and water supply will operate from these offices.

This ensures that issues related to these departments are monitored and addressed efficiently at the ward level. KTR shared plans to attach additional officers from departments such as health and police to the ward offices in the future, ensuring comprehensive service delivery.

He Aoutlined the key features of the system, emphasizing the positive impact it will have on the citizens and governance.

Minister KTR acknowledged the existing dearth of bureaucracy at the ward level and highlighted how the ward office system bridges this gap and enhances local governance.

He underscored that the ward office system has been introduced with the genuine intention of providing good governance to the citizens of Hyderabad. He called upon all public representatives to rise above political affiliations to work together for the success of this system, emphasizing the importance of collaboration. He assured that the government would extend full support to the ward offices, irrespective of the political parties represented by the public representatives.

The success of this system in Hyderabad has the potential to serve as a model for other cities across the country. Minister KTR expressed his optimism that if the system proves effective in Hyderabad, it could be replicated nationwide, revolutionizing governance and service delivery. Hyderabad already stands at the forefront of cities known for their good governance, and the ward office system further strengthens this reputation.

Telangana has undertaken massive infrastructure development projects to compete globally and attract investments, state Industries and Commerce Minister K.T. Rama Rao said on Tuesday.

The initiatives include the construction of the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, the largest textile park in India, and Hyderabad Pharma City, which is poised to become the world’s largest pharma cluster, he noted.

Telangana has also made significant strides in the pharma sector, with the establishment of the largest medical devices park in Sultanpur and the presence of the world’s largest stent manufacturing unit, he added.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, was addressing an event to mark the Telangana Parishramika Pragathi Dhinotsavam or industrial development day as part of decennial celebrations of Telangana state formation.

He proudly proclaimed Hyderabad as the vaccine capital of the world, with over half of the world’s vaccines projected to be manufactured in the city by next year.

The recently-launched Telangana Mobility Valley, similar to the success of Genome Valley in the life sciences sector, has garnered an excellent response from the industrial community and is expected to contribute significantly to the state’s progress in the automobile industry, he said.

The minister launched the annual report 2022-23 of the Industries and Commerce Department, and the decennial report of Handlooms & Textiles Department. KTR also felicitated prominent industrialists, and outstanding employees from the Industries Department, IT,E&C Department, and the Textiles Department.

KTR emphasised the government’s commitment to attracting domestic and international investments while creating employment opportunities.

He announced Telangana’s outstanding achievements in terms of per capita income and Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Telangana currently holds the highest per capita income in the country, amounting to Rs 3.17 lakh, demonstrating the state’s economic strength. Additionally, Telangana’s GSDP has soared from Rs 5 lakh crore in 2014 to an impressive Rs 13.27 lakh crore today, indicating significant industrial growth.

He emphasised the exceptional progress in the IT sector, with IT exports increasing from Rs 57,000 crore in 2014 to Rs 2.40 lakh crore in 2022-23. The state’s progress extends across various sectors, including agriculture, ensuring inclusivity and benefiting all segments of society, from rural to urban areas, and from the poor to the rich.

He applauded the substantial growth of the IT sector, which has nearly tripled its workforce from 3.23 lakh employees to 9.5 lakh presently. Telangana’s industrial advancements have not only strengthened the state’s economy but also stimulated other sectors, including real estate, he said.

KTR stated that the Telangana model is characterised by holistic, integrated, inclusive, and balanced development, with the aim of achieving economic, social, and industrial progress in harmony. He reiterated the state government’s commitment to innovation, exemplified by the establishment of T-Hub, the largest technology hub and workspace in the country.

Expressing pride as both a Minister and a citizen, he acknowledged the exceptional progress achieved by Telangana in the industrial sector. He commended the state’s pioneering projects, such as the world’s largest lift irrigation project, Kaleshwaram, and Mission Bhagiratha, which provides drinking water to households.

Telangana has consistently been at the forefront in fields like education, medicine, irrigation, drinking water, and the environment, receiving numerous national awards and international accolades for its achievements, he said, urging the people of the state to reflect on the significant improvements achieved since 2014 in areas such as drinking water, irrigation, education, and electricity supply. He encouraged a fair assessment of Telangana’s progress and expressed optimism for a bright future.

Telangana has become the first state in the country to launch a state robotics framework with a vision to create a sustainable robotics ecosystem.

This is aimed at promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and research and development to position Telangana as a leader in the field of robotics.

Information Technology and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao launched the robotics framework, the sixth such framework launched by the Emerging Technologies Wing of the ITE&C Department.

He noted that Telangana, from the very beginning itself, realised the pivotal role that technology has to play in the progress of a state, and focused immensely on adopting every latest technological advancements and on becoming a catalyst for technological innovations.

It was in 2017 that Telangana set up a first-of-its-kind dedicated vertical called the Emerging Technologies Wing. “We chose eight emerging technologies which are at the forefront of the fourth Industrial Revolution such as AI, Blockchain, Drones, Additive Manufacturing, IoT, Space Tech, Cloud and Robotics and set to drive ecosystem development and government adoption in these areas,” he said.

The state has already released 5 actionable policy frameworks on AI, Cloud, Blockchain, Drone, and SpaceTech. With this Telangana has become a pioneer in embracing emerging technologies and a role model for other states, he said.

The robotics framework is a comprehensive roadmap that outlines the state’s vision for the development of the robotics ecosystem in the state and contributing to the growth of the industry in the country. The framework has been developed by the Emerging Technologies Wing in collaboration with the All India Robotics Association and inputs from academia, industry experts and stakeholders.

The framework focuses on leveraging robotics technology to drive growth and development across identified four key domains – agriculture, healthcare, industrial automation and consumer robotics.

The key points in the framework are that the state will set up a Robo Park equipped with testing facilities, co-working options, and co-production/manufacturing options either at sites owned by the state or in partnership with the industry, academia, and incubators, at competitive rates. Additionally, the state will establish a world-class robotics accelerator to provide startups with the necessary incubation, infrastructure, authorisation support, market insights, investor connect, and mentorship support.

In order to achieve the vision of the framework, the government has identified five key pillars: infrastructure access, business enablement, fostering research & innovation, human capital enhancement and responsible deployment.

The state will set up a separate body called the Telangana Robotics Innovation Center (TRIC)which will be responsible for the implementation of this framework and will be the nodal point to implement the key pillars of the framework.

The state government also signed MoUs with five organisations, including academic institutions, industry associations, and incubators. They are IIT Hyderabad, ART PARK IISC, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), AgHub (PJTSAU), and the All India Robotics Association (AIRA).

The state government is planning to organise a Global Robotics Summit to showcase its growing robotics ecosystem and attract investments from across the world. The summit will provide a platform for startups, researchers, and industry leaders to showcase their work, network with potential partners and investors, and explore new business opportunities.

Principal Secretary, ITE&C and Industries, Jayesh Ranjan, and Director of Emerging Technologies Rama Devi Lanka also spoke on the occasion.

Telangana’s minister for information technology and industries K.T. Rama Rao has been invited to the ‘AsiaBerlin Summit 2023’, to be held in Berlin, Germany, from June 12 to 15.

This year’s summit will be held on the theme ‘Connecting the Startup Ecosystems’ and will be inaugurated by the Governing Mayor of Berlin in the Berlin City Hall

The invite from the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, requested minister KTR to speak at this year’s Summit and thus strengthen the partnership between our countries and send a visible signal for intensifying this cooperation.

The AsiaBerlin Summit is the annual summit addressing economic connections between Berlin and Asia, with the goal of connecting Berlin startups with valuable markets and ecosystems in Asia.

This year, the summit will focus on three main topics — mobility and logistics, energy transition, green tech, climate change and artificial intelligence. In addition, a dedicated investor program, a startup pitch competition and guided tours through the Berlin ecosystem will be organised.

Earlier on May 4, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) invited KTR to the 14th WEF annual meeting of the new champions, to be held from June 27 to 29, 2023 in Tianjin, China, with the support of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

WEF’s President BA,rge Brende stated in the invitation that driven by KTR’s vision, Telangana has become a beacon of innovation and a pioneer in embracing emerging technologies.

“Telangana is leading India’s start-up and innovation system through future-oriented policies and enablers such as the T-Hub. Participants will be keen to hear your insights on promoting growth in Telangana led by entrepreneurship, innovation and digital transformation,” reads the invitation.

The meeting will convene over 1,500 global leaders from business, government, civil society, international organizations and academia at a pivotal time for the global economic recovery. It will focus on key transformations such as accelerating the energy transition, making progress on climate and sustainability, deploying innovation across economies and industries, and post-pandemic consumer behaviour.

Expanding the information technology sector to tier-II towns in Telangana, the state government on Saturday opened an IT tower in Mahabubnagar.

Minister for Information Technology and Industries, K T. Rama Rao, inaugurated the IT tower, which is the fourth such facility in tier-II towns.

The minister said that the proximity of the facility to Hyderabad and Shamshabad airport will attract companies to establish their operations in the area.

Spread across four acres, the IT tower in Mahbubnagar consists of G+four floors where companies and the state government’s innovation ecosystem are provided with space to set up their offices or centres.

The building consists of 44 office spaces, 10 conference halls, an Innovation Centre, a Knowledge Hub and a Cafeteria.

On the occasion, the IT Minister also inaugurated Telangana Academy of Skill and Knowledge’s (TASK) centre, facilitation centres of T-Hub and WE-HUB located in the building.

Besides this, Seat Allocation Letters were handed over to nine companies, to set up their operations at the facility. The companies are Mueller dotKonnect, Amara Raja Group, Zuven Technologies, Intuites LLC, Urpan Technologies, E-grove Systems, IT Vision 360 Inc, Four Oaks Inc and BCDC Cloud Centers Pvt Ltd.

KTR on Friday inaugurated four IT companies in Hanamkonda. The four companies are LTI Mindtree, Genpact, HRH Next, Hexad Solutions Pvt Ltd. The Minister handed over appreciation letters to representatives of the companies for setting up their facilities in Hanamkonda.

Genpact has already hired 400 associates from the local colleges.

LTI Mindtree has hired 60 associates from the local colleges. HRH Next has hired 120 associates at Warangal. It plans to grow this to 500 plus in the coming months.

Hexad Solutions Group already hired 50 people at Warangal Design Center offering engineering and design services to Wireline, Wireless and CATV communications.

KTR noted that Hyderabad has made significant improvements in IT by becoming home to top global brands of the world such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Qualcomm, Uber, Micron, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and UBS. Mahindra, MRF, Olectra, Mythra and Race Energy have also set up new centres in Telangana. ZF, Frisker, Stellantis, Hyundai and Biliti too set up their campuses in Hyderabad.

He said that by creating the policy framework, infrastructure and access to human capital, Hyderabad has become a chosen destination. “We are likely to cross 2.2 lakh crore exports in 2022-23 which is close to 20 per cent growth Year over Year from 1.83 lakh crore. The IT Sector with a total employment of 785,614 direct jobs in 2021-22, added over 1.5 lakh jobs in 2021-22 alone,” he said.

As part of the vision of Telangana, the plan is to spread the growth across Telangana, not limiting this to Hyderabad Northwest Corner – Hitec City and Gachibowli. Telangana Government has rolled out GRID (Growth in Dispersion) and rural development policies to spur the growth across Telangana.

As part of that strategy, Telangana state has already inaugurated IT Centres at Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam, which are already operational and creating local employment with multiplier effect to the local economy.

KTR said that IT towers in Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Siddipet will be inaugurated in a few months. The IT tower in Adilabad is also shaping up well.

Besides creating employment to rural youth, these IT Towers reduce migration to larger cities, boost local businesses and aid in equitable development of the state.

Hyderabad has significantly improved biodiversity in the last one decade as the city scored 57 out of 92 marks in the latest biodiversity index released on Tuesday.

In 2012, the city had scored only 36 out of 92 marks.

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K.T. Rama Rao released the City Biodiversity Index of Hyderabad.

The index is useful for monitoring, conservation and development of biodiversity in the city. Also called the Singapore Index, the City Biodiversity Index is the only index designed specifically for monitoring and evaluating biodiversity in cities.

Earlier, Hyderabad got its City Biodiversity Index in 2012 (COP11 meeting), and Kolkata created it in 2017. Hyderabad registered itself as the first city to create the Biodiversity Index for the second time.

The index is prepared based on 23 various biodiversity indicators such as ongoing biodiversity conservation efforts in the respective city, support extended by the local government in this direction, and measures conceived for enhancement of biodiversity. A total of 92 marks are allotted for the 23 indicators.

The city witnessed significant improvement in the Biodiversity Index due to the various green initiatives initiated by the Telangana government, namely Haritha Haram, urban parks, rejuvenation of water bodies and forests to name a few.

Hyderabad, which was known as the city of lakes, currently has 1,350 water bodies spread over 2,000 hectares. It also has important rock formations which cover an area of 1,600 hectares. KBR National Park and Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park in the city contribute significantly to biodiversity. Besides, huge campuses of the University of Hyderabad, the Osmania University, and ICRISAT host wide species of diversity. Protection of the natural biodiversity in the city led to the improved ranks in the latest index.

According to the report, there are 1,305 species of plants of which 577 were native and 728 were introduced. The city is home to 30 species of odonates, 141 species of butterflies, 42 species of spiders, 60 species of fish, 16 amphibian species, 41 reptile species, 315 bird species, and 58 mammalian species.

Appreciating officials for preparing the Hyderabad specific Biodiversity Index, KTR, as the minister is popularly known, said that biodiversity is a crucial aspect in the process of becoming a world-class city. He said that Haritha Haaram, conservation of lakes, increasing forest cover, and improving urban lung spaces helped in improving biodiversity.

The minister added that along with the city, biodiversity in localities around it too will improve.

KTR stated that the implementation of Haritha Haram by the Telangana government was aimed at enhancing biodiversity in all municipalities. To achieve this objective, a green budget has been allocated for various programmes such as Pattana Prakruthi Vanalu and Nurseries, which aim to increase the green cover. As a result of these extensive efforts, the green cover across the state has increased, leading to an improvement in biodiversity.

Noting Hyderabad and other towns have received many awards and accolades for their impressive green cover and biodiversity initiatives, he emphasised the importance of continuing these efforts and instructed officials to develop a five-year action plan to enhance biodiversity.

In addition, the minister urged them to organize World Environment Day (June 5) on a large scale and raise awareness among the public about ways to improve biodiversity.

He announced that the Haritha Awards would be presented to the best-performing municipality and municipal officers and staff who contribute to increasing green cover.

Telangana on Monday launched Cool Roof Policy, thus becoming the first state in the country to come out with the initiative aimed at reducing the urban heat island impact and to bring down energy consumption.

Minister for municipal administration and urban development K.T. Rama Rao launched the policy with a vision to make the state a more thermally comfortable and heat resilient.

The policy has come into effect from April 1 this year and is already incorporated with building permissions applications.

Telangana Cool Roof Policy 2023-28 suggests adoption of cool roof as a measure for implementation to build resilience against extreme heat. “We aim to be an eco-friendly state with reduced dependence on energy consumption for cooling,” he said.

The cool roof is now mandatory for all government, government-owned, non-residential and commercial buildings irrespective of the site area or built up area. Occupancy certificates will be issued only after ensuring compliance with the policy.

Cool roof application is mandatory for residential buildings that have a plot area of 600 square yards and above. However, for buildings that have plot area of less than 600 square yards, it is optional or voluntary.

Leading by example, minister Rama Rao personally got cool roof painting done for his house. He said that it is very beneficial.

He directed officials to explore awarding incentives to encourage builders and property owners to adopt cool roof policy guidelines.

A special training programme for builders and all those involved in the construction industry about cool roof products and their benefits will be conducted.

The minister revealed that the cost for cool roof painting or tiles would be Rs 300 per square metre.

The policy aims at developing an ecosystem of suppliers, trained man power, testing and materials to support implementation of cool roofs.

Cool roofs are painted with solar reflective paint, covered in white tiles or with white membrane. They are an easy and cost-effective way to help fight climate change by mitigating the urban heat island effect and reducing cooling demand.

A cool roof takes in less heat from the sun than regular roofs. It stays relatively cool in the sun by reflective sunlight to minimise solar absorption and emitting thermal radiation to help dissipate solar heat gain. Cool roofs reflect around 80 per cent of the sunlight as compared with 20 per cent from regular roofs.

Experts say cool roofs can help keep indoor temperatures 2.1-4.3 degree lower than households with traditional roofs.

Cool roofs need limited maintenance and can save 20 per cent in energy costs and can increase the longevity of the roof beneath them.

Under the cool roof policy, Telangana has set a target of 5 square kilometer area for Hyderabad urban agglomeration and 2.5 square kilometer for the rest of the state in 2023-24. This will be doubled every year to reach 200 square kilometer in Hyderabad and 100 square kilometer in the rest of the state by 2028-29.

A total of 300 square kilometers of cool roof in the entire state is expected to help save 600 million units of energy per year.