The Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has focussed on agriculture and irrigation in his Independence Day speech.

Addressing the gathering after unfurling the National flag at the historic Golconda Fort here on Wednesday, he said two more phases of Hyderabad Metro Rail will be launched in the next three months.

“About one lakh people are using the Metro services daily. We are going to start the Ameerpet-LB Nagar stretch in September and Ameerpet-Hi-Tec City stretch in November,” he said.

Listing various measures taken up by the State government in the last four years in agriculture, irrigation and infrastructure sectors, he said a 330-km Regional Ring Road will be constructed beyond the Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad. “The world class Express Highway will cover several districts outside the ORR and would ease the traffic,” he said.

Tech park for minority

The Chief Minister said an Information Technology Park would be established in Hyderabad for entrepreneurs in the minority community. “We are going to launch a financial scheme to assist self-employment projects for people from Backward Classes. The officials will identify beneficiaries of the scheme,” he said. Blaming the then governments of the composite Andhra Pradesh state, he said agriculture and irrigation in Telangana had been totally neglected.

But now “our income has gone up by 17 per cent. We are giving ₹4,000 each for farmers as input assistance,” he said. “The number of godowns has gone up to 364 from 176 before the formation of the State, with the storage capacity going up to 22.47 lakh tonnes from 4.17 lakh tonnes in the last four years,” he added.

Later addressing a gathering at Malkapur in Medak district where he launched Kanti Velugu programme, he said the government was in the process of finalising a plan to establish underground drainage system across the State.

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