Union minister Jairam Ramesh assured that Centre would set up a 4000 MW power plant through NTPC in Telangana
WARANGAL: Jairam Ramesh, the Union minister for rural development, on Wednesday, assured that Centre would set up a 4000 MW power plant through NTPC in Telangana region as part of its state bifurcation sops. At the same time, he defended the slew of special packages for Seemandhra region including a national status to the multi-purpose Polavaram project stating that it was done in a bid to compensate their loss of Hyderabad.
He added that retaining Hyderabad for Telangana state has been the biggest victory in the six-decade-old statehood demand but it came in return for special packages to Seemandhra region. “Hyderabad city is like a ‘Dulhan’ (bride) for the new state. However, in order to make Seemandhra region part with the city, we provided special sops to Seemandhra region including the execution of Polavaram,” Mr Ramesh said.
Though the capital city covering an area of 675 square km would remain joint capital for 10 years with transfer of certain powers to the Governor, he said that Telangana state would have solace on the exclusive rights over its revenue in the form of property tax, stamp duties, sales tax and entertainment tax generated in the region. Mr Ramesh also admitted that the Hyderabad-centric model of development was a blunder, from which the two states must take lesson.
