Telangana Governor: LPG cylinders for Rs 500, free power up to 200 units soon

Hyderabad: Addressing the joint session of the Telangana State Legislative Assembly and Council on the first day of the Budget Session, Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday said that the state government was committed to filling the two lakh jobs through the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC).

In her speech, the governor said that the internet would shortly be made a fundamental right by the state government. In addition to developing digital infrastructure, the goal would be to make it inexpensive and available to all societal segments.

“In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) has great promise for the state government. We intend to establish Hyderabad and Telangana as the nation’s hub for artificial intelligence (AI) by extending invitations to leading national and international technology firms to establish their AI centres here. In 50 to 100 acres, we'll establish a special AI city,” the governor said.

“Getting everyone back to the river is our aim. The Musi River Front will undergo extensive reconstruction on the part of the government. Hyderabad’s Musi will once more become its lifeline, and the surrounding metropolitan area will be revitalised. The project will include elements for clean, flowing water, riverfront beautification, and transportation networks linking the city’s eastern and western regions,” the governor said.

Musi Riverfront project

All around the city, hawker areas, people’s plazas, pedestrian zones, and green spaces will be created under the Musi Riverfront project. It will bring back to life and improve accessibility to the city’s historic, historically significant areas. To integrate the finest methods and teams to work on this, we are examining national and international models, the governor said.

Before this, the Governor began her speech by thanking chief minister A Revanth Reddy for outlining the government's intention to act as the representatives of the people in a genuine democracy. A platform for citizens to voice their grievances and seek remedies, the Praja Vaani initiative is the government's first attempt at implementing people-powered governance, she said.

Six guarantees

Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the government was dedicated to delivering on the six guarantees, just as it had pledged during the elections. She noted that over 15 crore journeys had already been made by women using the free TSRTC bus transportation services offered under the Mahalakshmi Scheme, pointing out that two of the guarantees had already been fulfilled.

The governor said that the government promised to shortly introduce two more schemes: under the Maha Lakshmi plan, eligible families would receive LPG cylinders for Rs 500, and under the Gruha Jyothi program, every qualified household would receive 200 units of free domestic power.

New industrial policy

Tamilisai Soundararajan announced a new industrial policy that would be based on a thorough study of current ground realities, feedback from stakeholders, and taking cognizance of global best practices. She said the government aims to empower the farming community with crop diversification programs, horticulture promotion, quality seeds, and advanced agricultural practices through initiatives like Rythu Bharosa and crop loan waiver.

To assist with enhanced technology, the capacity to hire trained labour, funding, market access, and the avoidance of industrial illness, a new MSME Policy would also be implemented, she said and added that the MSMEs would also have access to a dedicated institutional framework that would assist them in resolving their complaints.

IT and Pharma development

Declaring that the government would persist in endorsing sectors such as IT and Pharma, Soundararajan said that the government would establish 10–12 Pharma village clusters spanning an area of 1,000–3,000 acres. These clusters would be situated away from populated areas and equipped with amenities such as testing labs, effluent treatment facilities, logistics infrastructure, and social infrastructure for housing, healthcare, and education, she added.

Declaring that every government ITI in the state would be transformed into Advanced Technology Centers, with an approximate project cost of Rs. 2000 crore, she added that these centres would help nearly one lakh Telangana youth by providing NCVT-approved long- and short-term courses in high-demand trades.

Tamilisai Soundararajan said that coal has been Telangana’s main source of energy. The Telangana government will create a comprehensive ‘Energy Policy’ to promote all forms of green energy, including solar, wind, hybrid (solar and wind), and storage (pumped or battery) to meet peak requirements. The goal is to optimise power costs, meet the State's demand profile, and increase the energy share from clean energy. By 2030, the government hopes to drastically increase the share of green energy and lower carbon emissions, she said.

Commitment to sacred sites

“Telangana is also home to a myriad of temples, each with its unique architectural style and spiritual significance. The renowned Bhadrachalam Temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, and the historic Vemulawada Temple are just a glimpse of the religious diversity that our state encapsulates. Our commitment to preserving and promoting these sacred sites will not only attract pilgrims but also aficionados of art and architecture,” the governor said.

A comprehensive tourism policy will be released by my government to promote and preserve our reservoirs, temples, delicious cuisine, and stunning architecture. In addition to stimulating the economy, the tourism policy will present the globe with Telangana's authentic nature, she added.

Caste survey

The governor also reiterated that a caste survey would be conducted through a door-to-door household survey, following the government’s recent announcement of a Caste Census. “The objective of the survey is to gather the necessary data to estimate the social, educational, economic, employment, and political opportunities for different castes in general, and BCs in particular,” she said.