Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development minister K T Rama Rao on Friday told the Assembly that works to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore under SRDP project were completed. He said the remaining part of the work has been put on fast track. He said the SRDP project is yielding positive results in that the initiative is easing traffic congestion in different parts of the city, KTR said.

“Underpasses and flyovers were constructed in different areas of the city and the GHMC is ensuring there is no dearth of funds and that the works are being executed as per schedule,” KTR told the Assembly The total cost of the SRDP project is estimated at Rs 30,000 crore.

The state government is also strengthening public transportation to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular traffic, KTR stated. The road-widening works too are being taken up on a war-footing, he said. Futher, he pointed out that no discrimination was shown in the development of road works in Old City or the new city.

Telangana IT minister K T Rama Rao on Wednesday announced that second phase T-Hub will be launched in Hyderabad shortly.

The IT minister, during the Question Hour in the Assembly, said arrangements are already being made to set up several IT-Hubs in Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, and Nizamabad to create employment opportunities to the youth of the four districts. A high-tech facility at ICRISAT was also launched to provide required farm-related information to the farmers in the state. T-HuB, the brainchild of KTR, provides an opportunity to budding entrepreneurs to launch start-ups. The IT Hubs create an ecosystem for innovation and they serve as centers to hone the entrepreneurial skills of the youth.

KTR said the second phase of IT Hub in Hyderabad is being set up on three acres of land in Raidurg area at a cost of Rs 300 crore. While the first phase of IT Hub could incubate more than 500 startups, the T-Hub Phase II would incubate over 1,000 startups, the IT minister said.

The Chief Minister-in-waiting K T Rama Rao on Monday flew to New Delhi to meet top officials seeking central funds for the Telangana government’s pet project of double bedroom to the poor and ambitious airport project Warangal.

K T Rama Rao met aviation and urban housing ministry officials. The IT and MAUD minister apprised the central officials about the State government ambitious airport project in Warangal.

KTR sought central funds under the UDAN scheme under which the AAI is planning to spend ₹25,000 crore in five years on developing new airports, upgradation of existing airports and in the process of converting under-served and un-served airports.

KTR has urged rhe central officials to include Warangal Airport under the Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN. The IT and MAUD minister also stated that the government is keen on developing greenfield airports at Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jakaranpally in Nizamabad district and Gudibanda Village, Adakkal Mandal, Mahabubnagar district while brownfield airports will be at Mamnoor village, Warangal Urban District, Basanthnagar in Peddapally district and Adilabad.

KTR also appealed to the central officials to release funds for the double bedroom project. The State government is committed to completing 1 lakh houses under GHMC limits and another 1 lakh units in rural pockets by the end of December. However, the central government had made it clear to the state government that it would not release its quota of funds to construct double bedroom/ hall/appealed (2BHK) houses in the state until Telangana shortlist the list of beneficiaries.

Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao expressed his anguish and shock over the violence in Bengaluru that left three people dead after police opened fire to quell a mob who clashed with the police over a provocative social media post about the Prophet Mohammad.

Rama Rao appealed to the people to desist from circulating fake news in social media. He said social media cannot turn into an instrument for antisocial behaviour. “Goes to show you how dangerous spreading fake news in social media can be,” tweeted KTR urging people not to indulge in propaganda and stop spreading fake news.

Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy’s nephew Naveen allegedly uploaded a derogatory post on Facebook about Prophet Muhammad triggering violence. A mob, hundreds in number, went on rampage. They gathered outside the MLA’s house and burnt down the vehicles. Sixty police personnel were also injured in the violence. Authorities imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits the gathering of four or more people at a place, in Bengaluru. A curfew was also imposed in DJ Halli, KG Halli and Kavalbyrasandra areas in Bengaluru.

Goes to show you how dangerous spreading fake news in social media can be

Request all SM users to be responsible; don’t indulge in propaganda & stop spreading fake news 🙏

Social media cannot turn into an instrument for Anti-social behaviour https://t.co/EZk4GWZXjK

— KTR (@KTRTRS) August 12, 2020

With growing criticism over the failure of the KCR government in handling the pandemic, IT and MAUD minister K T Rama Rao trained his guns on the BJP-led government at the centre.

The IT minister and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son reminded that India is the world’s third worst-hit country and sought to know if the Modi government will accept its failure in handling the pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion of inauguration of a medical college building in Mahbubnagar, he pointed out that several state governments in the country have been struggling to counter the pandemic and that Telangana is not the only state that is struggling to contain the spread of the virus. “India has now become the world’s third worst-hit country in terms of coronavirus cases. Is it then the failure of the Modi government,” KTR questioned.

Telangana is seeing an alarming surge in coronavirus cases, with more than 1,500 new infections per day. It is one of several states that has seen a surge in new Covid-19 cases after the state had rolled back complete lockdown. The percentage of positive tests has nearly doubled in the past few weeks.

Stating that the trajectory of the infection is moving upwards in many other countries, he pointed out that most medically advanced nations, including the US and Italy. “Telangana has over 34,000 positive cases. It is not only Telangana and the rest of the states in India, many Western countries are grappling with the biggest challenge mankind has faced in recent times. The US, Spain and Italy are struggling to contain the spread of the virus. There is a medical crisis even in big cities in New York. The media should stop negative coverage and should focus on positivity,” he advised.

“Even family members are refusing to claim the body of their loved ones. This is a crisis that the entire mankind is facing. The Telangana government has been working relentlessly to contain the spread of the virus. Our health minister is having sleepless nights. He hasn’t slept for more than four hours in the last couple of months. The doctors, paramedical staff and health workers are working overtime to ensure that the state becomes corona free. In such a scenario, the Opposition parties are politicising the issue. This is not the time to play politics,” he said.

Refuting the charges that the Telangana government was not testing enough, he said the government has ramped up testing as per the ICMR guidelines. “The government has started giving rapid antigen kits in several districts. In Gandhi Hospital, a 94-year-old woman and a 20 days baby recovered from the infection. The fatality rate in Telangana is around two per cent, while the recovery rate is around 98 per cent. The media should focus on the 98 percent recovery rate. In Mahbubanagar, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Siddpet and Bibinagar, the government has built hospitals with more than 4,000 beds capacity,” he pointed out.

Further, he said at least six pharma biggies in the state are working overtime to find a vaccine for Covid-19. “Telangana state is India’s pharma hub. Around 35 per cent to 40 per cent of medicines are manufactured in Hyderabad. At least six companies are in the forefront to find a vaccine for corona in India, four of the pharma firms are in Hyderabad. There are reports that a Russian pharma company has successfully tested a vaccine for Covid-19. We have to live with the virus till the time vaccine comes out. It is a reality that we have to accept.

Vijaywada is the nervecenter for trade, while Hyderabad has emerged a global city. The two should be inter-connected with a high speed metro rail, Telangana IT and MAUD minister K T Rama Rao said on Monday.

Speaking at the launch of the newly constructed RDO office in Huzurnagar in Nalgonda district, KTR as he is popularly known as said, “The Telangana government will work towards high speed metro rail connectivity between the two cities. If such a thing happens, we can expect growth in the highway corridor between Vijayawada and Hyderabad. “The high-speed train between the two cities aids in the development of areas on the highways,” KTR said.

Further, he stated that the Telangana government initiated major reforms like the formation of new districts, divisions, mandals and villages have taken place under the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s governance. “The government has created 73 divisions as against earlier 43 divisions. We have created 33 districts as against earlier 10,” he said.

Putting to rest speculations over his health, IT and MAUD minister K T Rama Rao on Tuesday tweeted that he is perfectly healthy.

KTR was responding to his Twitter follower who expressed anguish over his health. “Disturbed to know that you were down with flu symptoms yesterday in Sircilla. Concerned about your health. You have been a Covid warrior since the virus engulfed us, unmindful of your health. Please reassure us about your health. You are our hope. Please take care,” KTR’s Twitter follower posted.

To this, the IT Minister responded, “Many thanks for your concern sir. Perfectly well now Developed an allergic cold (struggling for many years) en route to Siricilla. Didn’t want to cancel my visit suddenly as it would inconvenience many people Apologies for any inconvenience I may have caused inadvertently.”

The minister recently visited Rajanna Siricialla district to take stock of Covid-19 situation there and called upon people to confine themselves to their homes to protect themselves from the pandemic. He had visited several containment zones including Khairtabad, Asifabad and Vijayanagar Colony, Mallepalli other areas under the GHMC limits which reported the highest number of new corona virus cases in Telangana. He reviewed the lockdown enforcement in these corona containment zones .

Telangana IT minister Mr K T Rama Rao has sought clarity from the Central government on the pending IT and GST refunds.

In a letter written to the Union IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, KTR, as Mr Rama Rao is popularly known, highlighted that funds are yet to be released despite the commitment made by the central government.

In the letter, KTR sought a help desk at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) for coordinating/liaison with Income Tax (IT) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) offices for expediting the IT and GST refunds.

KTR also sought financial incentives and tax credits for small and medium enterprises in IT sector immediately to ensure their survival, besides providing incentives like exemption from GST or income tax. Further, the Telangana IT minister also sought standard health code for IT employees working in IT parks and SEZs.

As the number of positive cases in Telangana climbed to 700, at least half of the cases reported under GHMC limits, IT & MAUD minister directed the ministers and officials concerned to strictly enforce the lockdown regulations in all the corona cluster containment zones. With more than 135 containment zones in Hyderabad limits, KTR seems to leave nothing to chance.

With the lockdown entering the second phase, KTR asked the officials to intensify screening in clusters of the virus around the city and put in place restrictions, even harsher than the lockdown, which would stop the virus from spreading beyond containment zones.

In a video-conference with Health Minister Etela Rajender, Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan, Municipal Commissioner Lokesh Kumar and DGP Mahender Reddy other top police officials, K T Rama Rao directed the officials to ensure that not a single individual steps out of their residences and barricade all the colonies in the containment zones so that people stay indoors. Further, he asked the officials to ensure doorstep delivery of essentials such as groceries, milk and vegetables, arguably the biggest reason why people are forced to leave the relative safety of their homes.

The Telangana government decided to collect data of the people buying medicines for fever and sore throat from medical stores. Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao asked officials to gather information about those who recently purchased such medicines. He asked the Municipal Commissioners to take help of drug inspectors in their respective municipalities and conduct reviews with the members of pharmacy associations. The minister also asked them to issue orders for submitting details of the buyers. Stating that self-medication is dangerous, he said the medical agencies should keep the data and provide the information to the government about those buying medicines for sore throat and fever.

The MAUD minister and son of chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao advocated strict implementation of prohibition of all movement of vehicles or personnel, and a ban on anyone entering or exiting the zone unless they are providing essential services. Of the 700 cases in Telangana, at least 300 Covid patients were identified from 135 containment zones. The maximum positive cases were recorded in Mehdipatnam circle with 38 cases, followed by Malakpet with 33, Chandrayangutta has 30 positive cases, Santhosh Nagar (27).

K T Rama Rao asked the respective colony associations to form WhatsApp group to alert the government on any pressing need the residents may have. Recently, the Telangana government has warned that sharing false and misleading information on Covid-19 on mobile social networking channels such as Whatsapp, ShareChat and social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. Circulating misleading information will attract penal action under IPC Section 505 and other laws.