TRS allays industry apprehensions over Telangana

HYDERABAD - Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) President K. Chandrasekhar Rao Wednesday assured top honchos of the Indian industry that his party would ensure that the movement for separate Telangana does not affect the ongoing business ventures in the region.

Allaying apprehensions of industrialists regarding investment climate in view of the ongoing agitation, Rao said TRS was for a peaceful movement for a separate Telangana, bifurcating the Andhra Pradesh state.

The industry leaders voiced their concern that the Telangana movement could again affect the industry and business like it did late last year and early this year.

They raised questions on chances of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and if it happens, its implications for industry and governance.

Rao exuded confidence that a separate Telangana state would soon be a reality with Hyderabad as its capital. The process for state formation would be initiated soon after Srikrishna committee submits its report to the central government by Dec 31.

Rao was addressing a CEOs forum organised by the International Market Assessment (IMA). About 150 business leaders including those from leading companies like DuPont, Bank of America, GVK Bio, Matrix laboratories, SabMiller, Apollo Hospitals and Gati attended the closed-door session.

“We will also develop Hyderabad as international business hub and in and around the city satellite townships will be created. To create industrialisation throughout the state, we will revitalize district industries centres,” said K. Taraka Rama Rao, Rao’s son and a legislator.

Rama Rao pointed out Hyderabad already has a dominant position in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry producing about 33 percent (worth $1.6 billion) bulk drugs of the country.

“We will also develop places like Sircilla, Gadwal, Pochampally, Dubbaka which are strong in weaving and handicraft. Telangana will compete with industrially progressed states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka and try to surpass them in terms of growth and progress,” he told the industrialists.

He said more districts would be created in Telangana state to provide responsive and accountable governance.

The meeting of TRS and industry leaders was significant in view of the recent remarks made by Chief Minister K. Rosaiah at national executive committee meeting of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Rosaiah had said that movements like the one for separate Telangana affected investments in the state.