Mahabubnagar: Ahead of the Telangana elections at the end of this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that the centre has decided to setup the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad and the Sammakka Saarakka Central Tribal University in Mulugu.
The tribal university will be setup at a cost of Rs 900 cr, he added.
The demand for the National Turmeric Board and a central tribal university have been political boiling points between the ruling BRS and the BJP.
He made the announcement on the occasion of laying the foundation stone to multiple developmental projects worth more than Rs 13,500 crore in Telangana.
“Today, I announce, from the land of Telangana, that the central govt has decided to form the National Turmeric Board. It has been done in the interest of the turmeric farmers and keeping their needs in mind. The board will help the farmers from value addition to infrastructure,” he said.
At an event held here, the Prime Minister pressed a button to dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of various projects covering sectors like road, rail, petroleum and natural gas and higher education.
Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union minister for tourism and culture G Kishan Reddy and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar were also present.
He laid the foundation stone for key road projects that are part of the Nagpur-Vijayawada Economic Corridor.
The projects include — 108 km long four-lane access controlled greenfield highway from Warangal to Khammam section of NH-163G and 90 km long four-lane access controlled greenfield highway from Khammam to Vijayawada section of NH-163G.
These road projects to be developed at a total cost of about Rs 6,400 crore will reduce travel distance between Warangal and Khammam by about 14 km; and between Khammam and Vijayawada by about 27 km.
The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation a road project — four lanes of 59 km long Suryapet to Khammam section of NH-365BB. Built at a cost of about Rs 2,460 crore, the project is a part of Hyderabad – Visakhapatnam Corridor and is developed under Bharatmala Pariyojana. It will also provide better connectivity to Khammam district and coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh.
PM Modi also dedicated 37 kms of Jaklair-Krishna new railway line. Built at a cost of more than Rs 500 crore, the new rail line section brings areas of the backward district of Narayanpet for the first time onto the railway map.
The Prime Minister also flagged off the inaugural Hyderabad (Kacheguda) – Raichur – Hyderabad (Kacheguda) train service from Krishna station via video conferencing. The train service will connect Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Mahabubnagar, Narayanpet districts in Telangana with Raichur district in Karnataka. The service will provide first-time rail connectivity to several new areas in the backward districts of Mahabubnagar and Narayanpet, benefiting students, daily commuters, labourers, and local handloom industry in the region.
PM Modi also dedicated Hassan – Cherlapalli LPG Pipeline Project. Built at a cost of about Rs 2,170 crore, the LPG pipeline, from Hassan in Karnataka to Cherlapalli (suburb of Hyderabad), provides a safe, cost-efficient, and eco-friendly mode of LPG transportation and distribution in the region.
He also laid the foundation stone of ‘Multi- Product Petroleum Pipeline of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) from Krishnapatnam to Hyderabad (Malkapur)’. The 425 km pipeline will be built at a cost of Rs 1,940 crore. The pipeline will provide a safe, faster, efficient and environmentally friendly mode of petroleum products in the region.
The Prime Minister also virtually inaugurated five new buildings of Hyderabad University. They are School of Economics; School of Mathematics & Statistics; School of Management Studies; Lecture Hall Complex – III; and Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication.
(This story is edited by Siasat newsdesk)
