- Shabbir Ali leads Praja Palana Dinotsavam celebrations in Adilabad as chief guest
- Govt Advisor outlines airport, irrigation, housing, education and welfare initiatives
Adilabad, September 17: Telangana Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Thursday said the Rs 2,278.14-crore joint-user airfield proposed in Adilabad would emerge as a major driver of connectivity, investment, employment and tourism in northern Telangana.
Participating as the State Government’s chief guest at the Telangana Praja Palana Dinotsavam celebrations in Adilabad, Shabbir Ali hoisted the national flag at the Police Parade Ground after receiving a guard of honour. District Collector Rajarshi Shah, SP Akhil Mahajan, elected representatives, officials and members of the public attended the celebrations.
Addressing the gathering, Shabbir Ali recalled that the erstwhile Hyderabad State became part of the Indian Union on September 17, 1948, marking the end of the Nizam’s rule and the beginning of democratic governance. He said people’s participation through gram sabhas, ward sabhas and local bodies remained central to democratic administration.
Highlighting major development initiatives in Adilabad, he said the State Government had accorded administrative approval of Rs 2,278.14 crore for the joint-user airfield project and that 2,009.23 acres was being acquired for it. He said the airport was expected to improve transport connectivity while supporting industries, investments, employment and tourism. The government was also taking steps to establish an industrial park over 2,062.01 acres in Boraj mandal, while the Rs 40-crore IT Tower at Mavala was ready for inauguration.
On irrigation, Shabbir Ali said works relating to the Lower Penganga project, Chanaka-Korata pump house and canal network had been taken up at a cost of Rs 2,023 crore. Plans were being implemented to provide irrigation to 35,000 acres through the main canal, while the Pippiri, Tejapur and Buggaram lift irrigation schemes had been taken up at a cost of Rs 141.07 crore.
He said 1,61,121 farmers in the district had received Rs 327.92 crore under Rythu Bharosa during the current Vanakalam season. Another Rs 34.30 crore had been extended to the families of 686 deceased farmers under Rythu Bima. Cotton procurement covered 16.28 lakh quintals from 1,03,600 farmers, while procurement support was also extended to soybean, Bengal gram and jowar.
On housing, he said 21,767 Indiramma houses had been sanctioned in the first two phases, construction had begun on 14,948 houses and 3,968 had been completed. The government had transferred Rs 337.06 crore directly to beneficiaries. Another 934 double-bedroom houses at Mavala and KRK Colony were ready for distribution to eligible families.
Later, Shabbir Ali participated as chief guest in welfare programmes organised at Gayatri Gardens in Adilabad as part of the Praja Palana Dinotsavam celebrations. He distributed sanction letters to beneficiaries selected under the second phase of the Indiramma housing scheme and handed over sanction letters and cheques to beneficiaries of the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes.
He also distributed spectacles to students under the Arogya Pathashala programme. Shabbir Ali said the government was working to ensure that eligible people received the benefits of its programmes in housing, education, healthcare and other welfare sectors.
Adilabad MLA Payal Shankar, District Collector Rajarshi Shah, SP Akhil Mahajan, Municipal Chairman Anusha, Library Chairman Narsaiah, ATMA Chairman Santosh Rao, Market Committee Chairman Srikanth, Additional Collectors Chitru and Rajeshwar, local public representatives, officials, women and beneficiaries participated in the programme.
Shabbir Ali said 1.06 lakh eligible consumers had benefited from free electricity under Gruha Jyothi, with the government paying Rs 104.57 crore to the power utility. Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, women had benefited from free RTC travel, while 1.02 lakh eligible women received LPG cylinders at Rs 500, involving subsidies of Rs 23.66 crore.
Referring to healthcare, he said Rs 10.96 crore had been spent on treatment and surgeries for 4,388 patients under Aarogyasri during the current financial year. Rs 40 crore had been sanctioned for a new nursing college building, while Rs 41.70 crore was sanctioned for upgrading hospitals at Utnoor and Boath.
In education, Shabbir Ali said Young India Integrated Residential Schools were being developed at Adilabad, Utnoor and Boath with an estimated outlay of Rs 200 crore. The district recorded a 96.90 per cent pass rate in SSC examinations, while 67 students secured seats at IIIT Basara.
He also highlighted initiatives for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and minorities. Under minority welfare programmes, 100 women received Rs 50 lakh under the Indiramma Minority Mahila Yojana, 10 beneficiaries were provided bikes with Rs 10 lakh assistance under the Revanthanna Ka Sahara scheme, and sewing machines were distributed to 453 women.
Shabbir Ali said the government was pursuing development and welfare programmes simultaneously and working to ensure that eligible people across the district received the benefits of its initiatives. (eom)
