Hyderabad ITIR: Centre rebuts Telangana govt, says no DPR received

Telangana's Information Technology and Industry Ministry KT Rama Rao on February 11 said that the statement on ITIR in Hyderabad given by Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Sanjay Dhotre in the Lok Sabha was "factually incorrect."

Sanjay Dhotre had earlier said that the Telangana government was asked to submit the required information to the concerned ministries with intimation to MeitY. No information was furnished by the Telangana government, he said.

However, the Detailed Project Report was made in December 2013 by undivided Andhra Pradesh and is available to the public on the government's Website. (https://it.telangana.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ITIR-Project-proposal-final-version.pdf)

The MeitY minister was replying to the question of TRS MP G Ranjith Reddy in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. "MeitY had received the proposal for the establishment of ITIR at Hyderabad from Telangana government in 2010. Based on this, ITIR at Hyderabad was notified on November 13, 2013. No separate Detailed Project Report was received in this office in 2016 in this regard either as a follow up to the project report that was already submitted along with the proposal in 2010 or as any additional project report," he said

KTR had claimed that the state government had submitted all necessary information, DPR, and several reminders to the Centre in the last six years.

MeitY minister, however, clarified that they had received communications in June 2018, August 2018, and January 2021 regarding ITIR from the State government.

In November 2013, MeitY notified ITIR in Hyderabad for the development of external infrastructure along with other utilities. The developmental activities related to ITIR were to be carried out by Telangana government in association with concerned Ministries/Departments which is Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways, and Ministry of Urban Development.

"The progress and issues in the implementation of the ITIR at Hyderabad were reviewed during the meeting held at MeitY in April 2016 and January 2017 with representatives from concerned Ministries/ Department and IT Department, Government of Telangana. Subsequently, based on the review of ITIR Policy 2008, the ITIR Policy was discontinued considering the fact that the objectives of the ITIR policy are now being better served and achieved by direct promotion of industrial units in industrial clusters and industrial townships that are taking shape through various programmes viz; DMIC, Smart Cities and other Industrial / Electronics Park schemes implemented by concerned Ministries/ Departments," said Sanjay Dhotre.

The minister noted that MeitY has received a letter on January 7, 2021 from the Telangana Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communication, and Industries & Commerce for consideration of restoration of the ITIR scheme or provide a better scheme in its place. The matter is under examination in view of existing Electronic Manufacturing Cluster Schemes and other initiatives for industry promotion by the Government of India.

The opposition in the state alleged that due to no submission of Detailed Project Report (DPR) despite the Central government asking for it ultimately leading to shelving the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project.