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Minister for Information Technology
Soon after assuming office, Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao briefed the Chief Minister on large-scale projects for a progressive Hyderabad in a review meeting of the Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR) Policy. Three of the most important projects include making Hyderabad a fully WiFi-enabled city, establishing one of the largest incubators of India for start-ups and setting up a separate authority for the ITIR project for electronic hardware manufacturing units cluster - to fulfill the ‘Make in Telangana’ vision.

In December 2014, along with the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation(TSIIC) Chairman, KTR held discussions with the CEO of Smart City in Dubai with regard to developing Hyderabad under the ambit of ITIR. KT Rama Rao also called on Yusuff Ali M A, chairman of the Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group who said that his company would invest Rs 2,500 crore in Telangana’s FMCG domainfor 2015-16.

During the same time, Rama Rao visited the Sonapur camp in Dubai to interact with about 20,000 migrant workers from Telangana who resided there. The Minister found that they endured very difficult living conditions, while non-payment of minimum wages was another common problem. KTR discussed with the establishment of Dubai the possibility of organising skills training for these workers, officially registering them, regulating agents, deploying Telugu-speaking staff in the Indian Consulate, providing legal assistance, designing insurance schemes, assisting relocation of workers to Telangana and rehabilitating them with suitable local jobs among other solutions.He assured workers that the Telangana government will soon bring out a specificpolicy for migrant workers.

In May 2015,K T Rama Rao had led an IT department delegation on a two-week tour to the United States of America with the agenda of discussing and reaching partnerships with corporate giants on various areas of collaboration with the Government of Telangana. The top brass of 30 leading companies which include names like John Chambers of Cisco, Mark Hurd of Oracle and John Veihmeyer, the global chairman of KPMG, met KTR to discuss the new industrial policy and ease of doing business in Telangana. Significantly, he met Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, and Amazon top brass Monique Meche& John Schoettler who assured their continued support to the State’s initiatives in the IT space. The Minister had also exhorted Non Resident Indians in a meeting at Seattle to be Goodwill Ambassadors in representation of the state government outside India.

In a bid to make Hyderabad a global city, KTR was responsible in roping in close to half a billion dollars worth of investments in one month alone (May 2015) for Telangana. Google announced that it would set up its biggest development centre outside the US in Hyderabad, with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore.In June that year,Amazon announced that it would set up its second fulfilment Centre in the state that is expected to be larger than the existing one,KTR declared during the inauguration of the latter at Kothur, Mahbubnagar district. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was reached between the Government of Telangana and Amazon Seller Services Private Limited (ASSPL). In partnership,Amazon India would offer training to sellers and Small and Micro Enterprises through seminars, workshops,and ready reckoners on e-commerce business. In July 2015, Uber had announced plans to set up its first Center of Excellence in Asia and invest upwads of US $50 million in Hyderabad, its biggest investment outside the US.

On 4 June, 2015, KTRama Rao met Hong Kong industrialists at a summit organised by CII where he interacted with close to 50 representativesfrom the electronic hardware manufacturing space over investments and opportunities in Telangana state. On 8 June, 2015, KTR met the top executives of Foxconn Technologies, FIH Mobiles and TECO Electric & Machinery Co as part of his visit to Taiwan and invited them to set up units in Telangana. In a meeting with the top executives of these firms, the Minister explained the new industrial policy of the State and the interest being evinced by several companies to set up their manufacturing units in Telangana.

Proving himself as one of the most progressive and disruptive thinkers of the youngest state of India, KTR paved the way for the Telangana government to inaugurate themuch awaited largest start-up incubator, T-Hub on 5 November, 2015. A70,000 square feet facility, the structure is constructed with an investment of Rs 40 crore in the first phase. The platform locatedat Gachibowliis one of KTR’s landmark initiatives for the state’s young talent pool to innovate, incubate and incorporate new ideas for entrepreneurship. Up to 300 start-ups and provides a futuristic workspace for up to 800 people at once. KTR conceptualised the cell a step further than the norm by includingpublic private partnership and mentorship as core features of the facility. This, by outsourcing business mentorship to ISB, technology support to IIIT and IIT and legal guidance to NALSAR. KTR summed up the objective of the initiative calling it “an incubator for incubators. All one needs is a great idea. Walk in with an idea and walk out with a product.”

Phase II of the facility is expected to expand the space to over 3 lakh sq feet. Through the IT department, KTR’s government has provided a seed fund of Rs. 10 crore to the T-Hub innovation fund and an initial capital of Rs. 125 crore is expected to flow into an accelerator-focused fund. He reportedly urged the Chief Minister in December 2015 to allocate a bigger corpus going forward. Additionally, KTR revealed that his government is keen to complete the impending installation of more IT clusters along the Outer Ring Road, a gaming tower to promote animation industry, a Data Analytics Park and an SME Tower to encourage small and medium companies.

KTR invited several industry leaders including Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, Biocon chairman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy among others to mentor young entrepreneurs of the state. In December 2015, Infosys CEO VikasSikka met with KTR during his visit to T-Hub. Soon after, the company announced that it was going to expand its Pocharam campus to double the capacity to 25,000 employees as compared to 12,000 employees, making it Infosys’ biggest campus. The Dalai Lama Centre for Ethics and Transformative Values at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge has decided to establish its South Asia centre in Hyderabad.

On 19 March, 2016, KTR urged Union Information Technology Minister Ravishankar Prasad to sanction Rs 100 crore for the second phase of T-Hub. Mr. Prasad was also urged to sanction Rs 3,000 crore due to the State for implementation of IT Investment Region.

Speaking about the government’s single window clearance mechanism for mega investors like the TSI-PASS, KTR said that more than 1,000 organisations had been given clearance between July and August 2015, paving the way for flow of investments worth Rs 25,000 crore and creation of 70,000 new jobs.

Free WiFi facility for Hyderabad (Hy-Fi) is currently available around the Necklace Road and Tank Bund areas. In an assurance to the media, KTR said that all major business centers including tourist centers, shopping places, airport, railway stations and bus stations would be equipped with Hy-Fi adequately.

Another initiative reckoned as the brainchild of KTR is the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) that has enabledaround 40,000 out of the 75,000 engineering graduates turn readily employable for industry during 2015-16. In KTR’s assessment of the needs of Telanagan’s youth, the TASK should be mandated to create a workforce of 100,000 by the year 2022 through access to skill development. KTR has linked T-Hub with this certification programmeto meet the said5-year target through a sustainable ecosystem of job creation.

During a 2014 (CII) conference on Cyber Security, KTR had urged industry to collaborate with the government to combat cyber crimes. This, while emphasising a dedicated workforce to defeat the threat that hackers pose to the IT infrastructure. Towards a Swachh Digital Telangana, in July 2015, two important MoUs were signed in the presence of KTR. As a result, One MoU between the Government of Telangana and C.R. Rao Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science to make cyber security part of the state’s multi-policy framework. Another was signed between TASK and Samsung South West Asia in offering courses on software development and testing operations.In August 2015,the state government partnered with NASSCOM and Data Security Council of India (DSCI) towards making Hyderabad a cyber-safe destination.

On his Mumbai tour during February 2016, KT Rama Rao got assurances from Reliance Group and Tata Groups to invest in Telangana in varying capacities, especially the prestigious double bedroom house scheme. He is said to have extracted a promise from Mukesh Ambani for establishing a world class university in the State in Dhirubhai Ambani’s name.

On 10 March, 2016, Governor E S L Narasimhan stated in his address to the joint session of Assembly that, with KTR as the first IT Minister of the state, the IT sector recorded huge exports of Rs 68,258 crore through 1,300 IT units, including 500 global companies, which shows 16 per cent growth.

Minister for Panchayat Raj
On 19 January, 2015, KTR announced that at least 29 government employees of various departments will be brought to work under the chairmanship of village sarpanches through a new Act that will strengthen village panchayats in Telangana.He also assured that his government will appoint special tribunals and ombudsmen for the purpose of accountability and grievance redressal. KTR stated that the government has plans to spend Rs. 642 crore in 150 most backward mandalstill the year 2020 for improving livelihood and human development index under the Telangana PallePragathiprogramme.

In June 2015, KTR urged Union Panchayat Raj Minister,Nihal Chand, to give priority to the new state and ensure that arrears of the 13th Finance Commission funds be released from the central pool with immediate effect. This, while appraising him of important programmes that include Our Village- Our Plan, Harithaharam and the much sought after construction of two bed room houses with basic amenities for the poor and weaker sections.

A Cabinet Sub-Committee chaired by Minister KTR had formulated guidelines for the implementation of ‘GramaJyothi,’a flagship programme of the state government which was launched on 15 August, 2015. The guidelines envisaged that the perspective plan should focus on provision of basic amenities for rural development. To meet them, KTRemphasised the allocation of funds to various works like provision of drinking water, health, education, electricity, sanitation and roads among others.

In September 2015, KTR asked officials of the Rural Development department to explore the scope of linking development programmes like the Telangana PallePragathi, Kalyana Lakshmiand Beema Surakshaschemes with the Stree NidhiCredit Cooperative Federation that ensures disbursement of credit to members of women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Towards inclusive growth, he then declared that the State Government had deposited Rs. 165 crore in Stree Nidhi Banks as on2 September, 2015, and was offering interest-free loans to women’s organizations across Telangana. The Stree Nidhi scheme, launched to counter Micro Finance Institutions, announced a dividend of Rs. 98 lakh for the State Government for the year 2012-13. KTR congratulated his department for the said development and lauded the implementation of programmes conducted by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP).

KTR also unveiled that the State Government was planning to increase the bank linkage to SHG women from the earlier Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. He directed officials to construct Mahila Bhavans for SERP offices at the village level. In July 2014, KTR had expedited the clearance of dues to the tune of Rs 14.96 crore for women beneficiaries of the Bangaru Talli scheme.

During a review meeting of the Department of Panchayat Raj held on 18 September, 2015, KTR announced that e-panchayat system would be rolled out across Telangana in the forthcoming months, the TRS government’s flagship project in the e-governance space for a progressive state.

Towards women empowerment, he declared that about 10,000 women would be provided employment through the proposed comprehensive village service centers or PalleSamagraSevaKendram. These women, besides qualified youth, are trained and appointed as Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) to operate, supervise and implement government schemes at the village level.

Interacting with a group of women at a VLE training programme held at the Telangana State Institute for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (TSIPARD), KTR appreciated women from over 4 lakh self-help groups for successfully repaying Rs. 5,000 crore loans availed by thrift groups adhering to fiscal discipline.

On 2 October, 2015, KTR and Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy launched the E-Panchayat initiative at the Bibipet Village in the Nizamabad district of Telangana. About 100 PalleSamagraSevaKendrams were set up. All gram panchayats in the state went online for the first phase of the e-panchayat initiative which concerns issuing birth and death certificates. Streamlining the payment of MGNREGA wages and pensions to beneficiaries and ensuring overall reduction of corruption would ensue in later phases. KTR had officially stated that internet broadband and V-Sat services were tested successfully and distributed subsequently for the purpose.

KTR formally launched the high-utility value Water Grid Scheme (Telangana Drinking Water Supply Project - Water Grid) in September 2015, with an estimated outlay of Rs. 35,000 crore. According to him, the State government is fully determined to complete the project, also known as Mission Bhagiratha, one that is expected to find a lasting solution to the drinking water needs of people in the State, much ahead of the stipulated time frame of three-and-a-half years. The government would also use hydraulic modelling software for determining the size of water pipelines, pumping capacity and height to which water would be pumped.

Wide spread success of the concept and implementation in the initial month impressed the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, who wished to replicate the model for the Bundelkhand Region. KTR and a team of IT department officials had flown to Lucknow in October 2015 to give a presentation in respect of the Water Grid Scheme, along side inviting Yadav to visit Telangana for a ground-level assessment.

Earlier, KTR had also inaugurated the Rs. 10 crore Comprehensive Protected Drinking Water Supply (CPWS) Scheme at Puttakota in Raghunadhapalemmandal and a new rural water supply scheme at Edulapuram village in Khammam rural mandal.

On 27 January, 2016, the Government of India, the Government of Telangana, and the World Bank signed a US$ 75 million credit agreement for the Telangana Rural Inclusive Growth Project. This was hailed as a significant boost to the rural development department on the ministerial watch of K T Rama Rao that would enhance the agricultural incomes of small and marginal farmers in the state, and ensure increased access to services related to health, nutrition, sanitation and social entitlements.

KTR told the State Assembly in March 2016 that the state government would construct as many as 1,000 new Gram Panchayat buildings across the state in the first phase at a cost of Rs 130 crore. The new buildings will replace the dilapidated ones. The government has sanctioned Rs 13 lakh for each building. He also told the House that a total of 2.75 lakh LED bulbs would be fitted in 25 municipalities and nagar panchayats of Telangana government at a cost of Rs.10 per bulb as fitting charges.

Role in GHMC Elections
Elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the urban local government body of Hyderabad, were conducted in February 2016. K. T. Rama Rao was made in-charge of the party’s campaign for the election by K. Chandrashekhar Rao. He was entrusted with the complete responsibility of the party’s campaign and publicity strategy since KCR was preoccupied with MLC polls. The odds were against the party in the city election since it had won only 2 out of 24 Assembly seats in previous GHMC elections.

The election has seen K. T. Rama Rao actively touring all 150 wards of the city in a span of one week, conducting more than 100 public meetings while canvasing for TRS. Starting as early as 6 AM every day, he worked round the clock to participate and engage with important leaders in the campaign sending a strong message to party cadre. He was seen to use his marketing skills and political experience to promote the party as a strong contender in the election.

Hyderabad is a bastion for urban-centric parties like BJP and TDP which draw their support from the large Seemandhra population and working class residing in the city. Proving the allegations that the ruling party is trying to conduct elections during the Sankranti vacation wrong, K.T. Rama Rao asserted that he believed in inclusive leadership and that the party would win with the votes of Seemandhra people, exuding confidence that the people of Andhra region would also vote for the TRS seeing the development works of the government.

KTR believes in inclusive leadership and hence successfully reached out to every section of the society including IT employees, women, industrialists, film personalities and businessmen resulting in a landslide victory for Telangana Rashtra Samiti. Contrary to the conception that TDP would win in the IT-populated areas like Hi-tech city, TRS won in those areas too.

His initiatives as the IT minister of the State won the confidence of both the people and industry leaders making his campaign a success. He also reached out to Bengalis, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims and “basti log”. The induction of local basti leaders, announcement of the double-bedroom scheme, regularization of house sites and uninterrupted water supply attracted people from the basti to vote for the party in large numbers.

As a result, TRS won in 99 out of the 150 wards in the city, virtually wiping out BJP, Congress (INC) and TDP. Political analysts attributed this to the articulate speeches of the double masters' degree holder turned-politician that won the hearts of Hyderabadis and positioned him as the most preferred leader among young voters.

KTR is lauded for the victory of TRS in the GHMC polls since the party had a bitter loss when it contested for the local government (Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad) elections in 2002, when it ended up winning just one division.

Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development and Brand Hyderabad
On 7 February, 2016, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced an additional portfolio to KTR as a complement for successfully fielding the party to victory in the GHMC Polls. He was assigned the Municipal Administration and Urban Development subject in addition to the Panchayat Raj and Information Technology portfolio.

Committed to make Hyderabad a global city, K. T. Rama Rao unveiled the government’s vision for development of Hyderabad in an event titled “Brand Hyderabad” conducted along the lines of the popular “Town Hall” kind meetings in the US in December 2015. The event was an effort to engage all citizens, especially the youth, in the overall development of the city where he spoke about various issues like decongestion of roads, water grid, public amenities, solid waste management and law enforcement among many issues pertinent to the city. KTR markedly delineated the broad vision for urban governance and globalization of Hyderabad city.

“Our goal is to make Hyderabad a slum-free city. The CM has asked us not to relax after our big victory but to visit all areas in the city, especially slums where the 2BHK houses scheme will be taken up,” Mr Rao said in one of the public meetings. He assured people that the government aims to build one lakh houses under the scheme.

Soon after taking charge as the urban development minister, he conducted a review meeting with municipal officials on various development works in the city and announced an action plan to develop Hyderabad in 100 days through participatory democracy. This included initiatives like digging 1,000 water harvesting pits, permission for house constructions within GHMC limits, a separate portal and App for complaints, encouraging sports, setting up 150 gyms and improvement of 20 colony parks.

For rejuvenation of the polluted Musi river, Minister KTR announced that the state government would approach the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Incheon, South Korea for a loan of Rs 3,000 crore. In a widely lauded populist move, he assured citizens that GHMC will remove accumulated debris from the drains in the twin cities by spending Rs. 30 crore and that works would be completed before the onset of monsoon in 2016. He also personally inspected various drains where huge piles of debris were accumulated causing obstruction to the free flow of water. Rama Rao appealed to the citizens to cooperate with government and join hands with the GHMC in making the city clean and green. The minister also appealed to the industrialists, manufacturers and hoteliers not to discharge the waste into the drains and warned that action be initiated against the violators.

In March 2016, KTR said that the government was ready to form special purpose vehicles, provide speedy clearances and ensure proper dispute redressal mechanism for firms investing in key infrastructure works, including flyovers, expressways and others in the capital region.

In the same month, KTR announced that the Telangana government finalised three new IT growth corridors in Budwel, Miyapur and Tellapur, where around 250 acres of land for each corridor would be made available for private players to move in and help develop facilities under Public, Private Partnership (PPP) mode. Representatives from 25 nation wide firms participated in the interactive session chaired by Minister Rama Rao.

KT Rama Rao aimed at revitalising brand Hyderabad and boosting the state's economy by launching the 'Happening Hyderabad' initiative for 52 events across 52 weeks a year. The concept encourages the hosting of several events in the city round the year from music and dance programs to food and art events. The Telangana government would partner with various event organisers by providing them financial or branding support, a first of its kind initiative by any state government in India.

KTR replied to a query in the State Assembly in March 2016 that 74 percent of Hyderabad Metro Rail project was completed. He informed members of the House that the metro line had been laid to an extent of 43 km in a short span of time and claimed that it is a world record for the world's biggest metro project in public private partnership.

In January 2016, KTR met US Consulate General Michael Mullins and discussed the issue of students seeking admission in American universities from Hyderabad being sent back from the US.The Minister told Mullins that it was not correct to send back students who have secured valid visas after spending time and money.He said he would write a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the issue.

In March 2016, KTR announced that the long-pending Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) in Old City area of Hyderabad would be completed in the by August and would be opened to public.

KTR has been lauded for his fact-driven and comprehensive speeches that have engaged audiences about the Telangana government’s policies. Speaking at the Spirit of Hyderabad event during January 2016, KTR painted Hyderabad as a mini India and a point of confluence for various cultures. Further, he said:“There’s no single identity here but multiculturalism, thanks to Hyderabadi attitude of “jiyoaurjine do” i.e. live and let live. We are one of the model welfare states, spending Rs. 30,000 crore on welfare schemes.”

Contribution to Sircilla
Between 2010 and 2014, Sircilla MLA KT Rama Rao had consolidated his position by improving his contacts in the constituency and striving hard for its development in general and Sircilla textile town in particular where voters number around 55,000. KTR promised to remove FSA (fuel surcharge adjustments) in power bills to the textile industry and providing ESI and PF facilities to powerloom weavers. KTR pursued more funds from the State government which agreed to spend over Rs. 36 crore to provide drinking water to the Sircilla textile town from the LMD reservoir.

While in government KTR adopted people-friendly policies for his constituency. During October 2014, apublic grievance redressal cell in Sircillawas inaugurated in the presence of KT Rama Rao which enables the people of the Assembly constituency to register their complaints. The minister assured to solve complaints within 48 hours.Speaking to the media, KT Rama Rao said that a comprehensive plan of Rs 75 lakh for making Sircillaa ‘smart police town’ was made using the latest technology to check robberies, anti-social activities, family disputes and suicides.

As the Urban Development Minister for the state, KT Rama gave out sops on his home segment of Sircilla when a group of leaders from the constituency met him in March 2016 regarding its development. KTR promised to develop the town into Greater Sircilla by giving it a complete facelift in about one-and-a-half years. Efforts would be made to include the town into Centre sponsored AMRUT scheme that would fetch Rs 60 crore for development.

Hundred per cent roads and toilets in three years would be completed, KTR assured. Since 1,500 double bedroom houses were allotted to the town,he said that one lakh acres would be irrigated besides supplying safe drinking waters to every household. Most importantly, KTR promised to urge Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to announce a financial package for weavers’ community in the town during his next visit to the town.

Rs.30 crore was already released for a laying ring road in the town. Roads to Siddipet and Kamareddy from Sircilla would be widened into four ways. One of the major priority areas for KTR is to establish a model school with a corpus of Rs.10 crore that would set the tone for better primary education in the region. On improving employment opportunities to the local youth, KTR reminded the media that companies such as Mafatlal and Bambino had already examined various locations in the town to set up their units in the near future.

KTR promised that the first international driving school in the State would come up at Sircilla. Sanction of 1,500 double-bedroom houses in 2016 and plans to irrigate one-lakh acres land in the constituency were also his priorities, adding that treated water would be provided to people across the constituency by 2017-end under Mission Bhagiratha.

KTR recently requested Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu to include Karimnagar among Smart Cities project.

Awards and Recognition
KTR was awarded the CNN-IBN and Ritz Magazine's award for the Most Inspirational Icon on the Year 2015. He was also selected for the prestigious Skoch Challenger of the Year Award in the Start-Up India category for his work in establishing the path-breaking tech incubator T-Hub.