Hyderabad: IT minister K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday conducted a Q&A session on Twitter, with the hashtag '#AskKTR' for over an hour. From Telangana politics and the statehood movement to his favourite TV series, Mr Rama Rao answered questions about many things, save the uncomfortable ones.
Replying to a user’s question about the recent denial of permission for protests in the state, Mr Rama Rao said, “May I remind you that this is a city where both RSS and AIMIM held meetings within a span of few days (sic).”
When asked what he cherished more, the post of TRS working president or minister, Mr Rama Rao said he would choose the former. “Well, I have to remember that it’s the TRS party and the workers of TRS that have ensured that I got the job as a minister. So I would rate the party post higher,” he said.
The minister also weighed in on Andhra Pradesh politics. When asked what he thought of AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s performance, he said, “I think he started out well.” On setting up TRS in AP, he said, “I remember a time before formation of Telangana state when I heard the comments that Telangana would suffer for lack of leadership. Now when I see such comments from AP, it’s heartwarming acknowledgement for leadership of KCR Garu (sic).”
Mr Rama Rao said his favourite political figure was his father, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Other than him? Former US president Barack Obama, Mr Rama Rao said.
The minister also commented on a question by a resident of Chevella on the removal of GO 111. “Well it needs to be thought out carefully. We have to make sure the two lakes Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar are well maintained even if we make changes to the 111 GO (sic),” he said.
Mr Rama Rao’s most memorable moment of 2019 was the zilla parishad elections. "Winning all 32/32 districts is no mean feat,” he said.
Mr Rama Rao answered several questions regarding infrastructure development in Hyderabad. He said there would be a new plan to build slip roads and missing link roads in many parts of the city. He also said the government was working on developing Metro Rail connectivity to the airport and Old City. When a user asked if there was a fund crunch in regard to SRDP works, he denied it and said it was an “important focus area”.
The minister answered several questions on information technology. He said the T-Hub Phase-2 and T-Works would be inaugurated in the first half of 2020.
When asked why development was still concentrated in the West Zone, he said, “Trying hard of new ‘Look East’ policy, receiving good response.” He said land acquisition was underway for an IT park in Kompally.
On the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) and why the state government was ignoring it, Mr Rama Rao said, “The Centre cancelled ITIR. But IT sector has been growing in the state nonetheless.” For attracting new investments to the state, he said the focus areas were textiles and electronics.
The minister answered a few political questions as well. On TRS’s strategy to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party before the next elections, he said, “People of TS smarter to outwit anyone with divisive agenda.”
When asked to comment on what he thought of having strong regional parties, he said, “It provides a fine balance.”
The minister also replied to a user who claimed there would be a severe water crisis in Hyderabad in the future: “Absolutely no truth in that. In fact quite the contrary; Hyderabad will be one of the few cities in India that will not have a problem of water shortage; especially after successfully completing Kaleshwaram project which also assures drinking water to the city (sic).”
