Karimnagar: Telangana State Planning Board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar on Wednesday urged people not to believe in rumours that Karimnagar and Warangal cities would not get funds under Smart City programme and that they were removed from the list.
“There is no truth in the rumour and there is no question of stopping funds to Karimnagar and Warangal under the Smart City programme. I spoke to Urban Development Ministry officials who made it clear that nobody can stop funds to Karimnagar and Warangal under Smart City programme,” Vinod Kumar told mediapersons after inspecting Smart City works in the town.
Assuring people that he would again make efforts to get an IIIT sanctioned for Karimnagar, he said when he was an MP, he ensured that an IIIT was sanctioned for Karimnagar and had even prepared DPR (detailed project report) besides identifying 50 acres of land of Seed Corporation.
However, the IIIT was shifted to another State due to various reasons, he said, adding that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao would bring pressure on the Centre for this.
Karimnagar would become a junction for National Highways once the proposed NH Karimnagar-Sircill-Kamareddy-Pitlam, Yelkathurti-Husnabad-Siddipet-Medak, Siddipet-Sircilla-Duddeda-Korutla and Karimnagar-Jammikunta-Veenavanka-Chityal-Bhupalapalli are completed, he said, adding that an NH office was also established in Karimnagar.
Talking about Smart City works, Vinod Kumar said the Circus Ground and multi-purpose park would be made accessible to people soon after the completion of pending works. After Hyderabad, Karimnagar would be developed as a beautiful town.
Pointing out that the State government was allocating huge funds to Karimnagar, Warangal, Nizamabad and Khammam corporations in the last five years, he said the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 350 crore to take up various developmental works in the town.
Though Karimnagar was not eligible for Smart City in terms of population, the government struggled hard and convinced then Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu through Chandrasekhar Rao for the status.
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