Mucherla, near Hyderabad, is set to get a new identity. During the debate on Budget Appropriation in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the State will have a fourth major city after Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Cyberabad, and the location will be Mucherla.
It’s also the site for the previous regime’s proposed Hyderabad Pharma City — a pharmaceuticals industrial park — that now stands cancelled.
Taking a dig at the Opposition BRS for their “failure to deliver” during their two stints in government, Reddy said, “They called it pharmacity, we call it pharma villages... If pharma companies set up thousands of acres, the entire area will be polluted. What we want to do is to connect agriculture and use of artificial intelligence.”
“We are creating a great city in Mucherla. We are building a fourth city in Mucherla, which is going to be our future city. We will also provide metro facility there,” he said.
What was essentially meant to be a debate on the Budget saw a war of words between the Opposition led by Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao, commonly known as KTR, and Reddy.
The Telangana government plans to set up a Young India Skills University at Mucherla and shift the National Academy of Construction there too. It proposes to develop a 1,000-acre health city to turn the city into a healthcare hub. “There has been a constant rise in footfall into the city for medical requirements from other States as well as Middle East and other countries,” he said.
Reddy said the focus will be on the development of sports infrastructure on the pharma city land, including constructing a world-class stadium to host international matches. Reddy also said his government will work on agriculture, industry, IT, and excise policies.
KTR’s counter
Meanwhile, KTR responded to the criticism of the erstwhile BRS government by highlighting the state’s achievements over the past decade.
“Your socio-economic survey itself praised Telangana’s development,” he said.
According to the survey, the gross state development product (GSDP) increased from ₹4 lakh crore to ₹14.5 lakh crore and the per capita income, at ₹3.47 lakh, is the highest in the country. “Telangana’s contribution to the GDP has steadily increased from 4.1 per cent in 2014 to 5 per cent in 2023, as per your data,” he said.
“We will support constructive bills brought by the government. However, the Congress government, after coming to power, has reneged on its guarantees and is indulging in impractical pursuits. It is disheartening to label a state with assets as a debt-ridden state,” KTR argued.
“The socio-economic survey itself contradicts your negative propaganda. In terms of development expenditure, Telangana ranks first in the country with a 74 per cent share.
“We have effectively managed our net debt at ₹3,87,000 crore, which is considerably lower compared to many other states. Our debt-to-GSDP ratio stands at 27.9 per cent, better than 14 other states. Our revenue receipts are also robust,” he said.
“Comparing debt levels globally, our state is in a much better position. Productive investment from borrowing is viewed as an investment in the future. By 2024, we have increased the state’s revenue to ₹1,64,000 crore,” he said.
The Opposition also demanded a detailed project report on the government’s much talked about Musi beautification project.
The Bill was passed by voice vote.