BJP urges state to accept IAF station in Adilabad, allow Centre to develop airport
24 March 2025 3:45 PM
The BJP on Monday urged the government to reopen communication with the Centre on the setting up of an Indian Air Force station in Adilabad, with party MLA Payal Shankar saying that the Union government was still ready to take the project forward if the state stepped in and agreed.
The BJP on Monday urged the government to reopen communication with the Centre on the setting up of an Indian Air Force station in Adilabad, with party MLA Payal Shankar saying that the Union government was still ready to take the project forward if the state stepped in and agreed.
Hyderabad: The BJP on Monday urged the government to reopen communication with the Centre on the setting up of an Indian Air Force station in Adilabad, with party MLA Payal Shankar saying that the Union government was still ready to take the project forward if the state stepped in and agreed.
Speaking in the Assembly during a discussion on demands for grants for various departments, Shankar said the previous BRS government had refused to accept the Centre’s proposal for developing the old aerodrome in Adilabad town, as it wanted the Bison Polo Ground in Secunderabad in return from the defence department.
The then defence minister Nirmala Sitharamam had written five letters in all to the then BRS government but to no avail and the Congress government should write to the Centre and express willingness to provide around 2,000 acres required for the facility.
If the IAF station is developed, the defence ministry was willing to allow its use for civilian aircraft. The new airport will bring jobs, act as a hub for developing mining of valuable minerals in the district, Shankar said.
Will upgrading panchayats to urban bodies affect rural employment scheme: BJP
MLA Payal Shankar on Monday asked the government to explain if declaring many gram panchayats as part of municipalities and urban local bodies would impact the implementation of the Centre’s employment guarantee scheme in the rural areas.
Shankar said that a large number of MGNREGA beneficiaries were likely to lose work since the scheme was for rural areas and the government must clarify on this issue.
Speaking during a debate in the Assembly on the grants for several departments, Shankar also criticized the government for prioritising excise revenue through increased liquor sales and, in the process, ignoring women’s welfare.
“Addiction to liquor freely available through belt shops is resulting in deaths of men leaving women as young as 30 as widows. Is this the priority the government gives to the welfare of women,” he asked.
Shankar urged the government to immediately release fee reimbursement dues to colleges saying it has so far done so for minority owned educational institutions because of the Id-ul-Fitr festival. “We too have Ugadi and Sri Ramanavami coming. I support release of funds to those colleges. My question is why not all colleges,” he said.
Minister Ponnam Prabhakar responded saying the government did not differentiate in the matter of release of fee reimbursement funds and all colleges would receive these funds as already previously stated.
Govt neglecting Hyderabad in pursuit of new cities: Vivekanand
The BRS cautioned the government against neglecting Hyderabad, its upkeep and development in the pursuit of its plans of creating new ‘cities’. The government appeared focused on the proposed Future City, the Fourth City and so on and was not paying attention to Hyderabad, said BRS Quthbullapur MLA K.P. Vivekanand.
Participating in the debate on demands for grants for several departments, including municipal administration, Vivekanand said the allocation for 2025-26 for the H-CITI (Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure) project was Rs 18 crore for land acquisition when officials sought `400 core. “The Rs 2,654 crore the Budget has set aside for the project means nothing unless land acquisition happens,” he said.
For the year ending this March 31, “the government allotted Rs 2,654 crore for the GHMC, but released only Rs 1,200 crore. While the HMWS&SB was promised Rs 3,385 crore it got only Rs 800 crore, and Metro Rail received just Rs 300 crore against the promised Rs 1,100 crore,” Vivekanand said.
Vivekanand also asked if the government would like Hyderabad to be a host city for the Olympics in the future, after discarding the Formula E race. “Where does it plan to get the lakhs of crores of rupees needed to prepare the city for the Olympics,” he asked. Urging the government not to neglect Hyderabad, he said Rs 10,000 crore should be given in the Budget and the funds should be released for various development projects in the city.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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