Telangana will be number one State: Governor

Hyderabad, March 10 (INN): Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan has said that the Government was striving hard to make Telangana the number one State in the country.

Addressing the joint session of Telangana Legislative Assembly and Council on Thursday, the Governor said that by implementation of innovative policies and schemes, the State Government was striving hard to usher in an era of unprecedented prosperity for all in the State. He said that the government was targeting to achieve a growth rate of 15% in the GSDP in 2016-17, to make Telangana the top State in the country. "The State has made commendable progress in all the sectors. The State's economy is expected to grow at 11.7% in 2015-16, as per the advance estimates of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), as against the projected national growth rate of 8.6%," he said.

The Governor said that the Telangana's GSDP was estimated to be Rs. 5.83 lakh crore in 2015-16 at current prices, which marks an important milestone in the growth of the State economy. "Although the Primary sector involving agriculture and allied activities is likely to register a meager growth of 0.8% per cent due to the adverse seasonal conditions in 2015-16, the Secondary sector involving industries and manufacturing is likely to grow at 8.3% and the Services sector is likey to grow at 14.9% over the previous year," he said.

As per the advance estimates for 2015-16, the per capita income of the State at current prices is likely to increase to Rs. 1,43,023 from Rs. 1,29,182 in 2014-15, as compared to the national per capita income of Rs. 93,231.

The Governor said that in the last 21 months, the Telangana Government has identified needs of the people and apart from focussing on Irrigation and Power sectors, launched several flagship programmes such as Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhageeratha and welfare schemes such as, Aasara Pensions, revamped Food Security schemes, Kalyana Lakshmi/Shaadi Mubarak, Double-Bed room housing for poor, etc., "My government strongly believes that delivery of all welfare programmes up to grass root level is possible only through a transparent administration and effective governance," he said.

While listing out several welfare schemes being implemented by the government, the Governor informed that already 60,000 houses have been sanctioned across the 10 districts and it is planned to take up one lakh 2BHK houses in the GHMC area and one lakh similar houses in other parts of the State during 2016-17. He said affordable and accessible health care would be provided all the citizens. Stating that the Tamil Nadu's health care model would be replicated in Telangana, he said the existing health care facilities would be strengthened, stabilised and consolidated by providing the required manpower, equipment and medicines. He said that the government aims to restore the faith of the public in the government hospitals.

"During the last six decades, not a single new hospital was started in the State capital, despite tremendous increase in the number of patients. To redress the situation, my government intends to start four new super specialty hospitals at different locations in Hyderabad to cater the needs of the growing population of the State capital," he said. The State Government will also clear the third installment of crop loan waiver scheme this year, he said.

The Governor claimed that the State Government has successfully resolved the inter-State issues on the sharing of Godavari River water with Maharashtra by signing a historic agreement between the two States. "In the context of bitter and protracted disputes on sharing of inter-State River waters, the pragmatic vision and statesmanship evinced by my government is indeed laudable and a model for other States to emulate. This augurs well for optimizing the use of water resources to harness it for the prosperity of all in the State," he said.

Narasimhan said that the State Government was committed to enhance gross irrigated area up to one crore acres in a phase manner in the shortest possible time. Similarly, he said that the total installed capacity of power in the State would be taken to 23,912 MWs in coming three years.