Posted: Updated – 09:27 PM, Monday – November 7th
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Hyderabad: It is not an unusual or unique event for a prime minister to visit a state to dedicate a revived industrial project to the country. But given that the BJP’s state arm is trying to hype Narendra Modi’s November 12 visit to Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) in Ramagondan, the visit appears to have a certain political dimension connotation.
State department head Bandi Sanjay even predicted RFCL’s activities as a “great service” by BJP to farmers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The truth is that the revival project was long overdue and the factory started commercial operations last March. According to the RFCL website, RFCL announced the commercial operation of its Ramagundam unit on March 22, 2021. In fiscal year 2022-23, RFCL produced a total of 490,633 tonnes of neem-coated granular urea and dispatched 497,512 tonnes of neem-coated granular urea.
In short, four months later, the factory has been operating for two years, which is exactly why the sudden dedication and excitement of the BJP’s visit to the prime minister has drawn attention. Political analysts noted that the visit appeared to be an attempt to divert attention from the humiliation the party suffered when it was caught on the spot during the purchase of the TRS MLA at Moinabad Farmhouse. As the BJP’s attack on Mnugod has put more salt in the wound, the party is said to be trying to use Modi’s visit to divert attention from Mnugod’s fiasco.
In fact, even though the state government has an 11 percent stake in the factory, the visit appears to be acquiescing to the state’s role in the factory’s revival. In addition, the state acquired land, paved roads to the factory, and spent Rs 100 crore to supply piped drinking water to the factory’s new town under Mission Bhagiratha. In addition to the plant’s water from the Sripada Yellampalli project, the state also provides electricity to the plant.
Nonetheless, instead of issuing a formal invitation to the state’s project, the centre issued an eponymous invitation to the chief minister, asking him to attend the event.
The sudden interest in the investment in the project also comes amid harsh criticism that the centre is sabotaging a major project intended for Telangana, the most notorious Information Technology Investment District (ITIR) project. Then there are denials and denials, and even clauses in the AP Reorganization Act.
The Modi government has been saying “no” to Telangana, starting with the trip to the Kazipet railway passenger car factory in Gujarat, refusing to allocate central educational institutions, a tribal university and the Bayaram steel plant.
The political motivation and agenda behind the hype for the Ramagadan factory is all the more evident when one remembers that the center has not allocated any new software technology parks to Telangana, which is witnessing rapid growth in its IT sector or refusal to grant national status to Kaleshwaram and Palamuru lift irrigation projects; or outright refusal of NITI Aayog’s proposal to allocate Rs 24,000 crore for projects such as Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha; or financial support for Pharma City and refusal to grant Telangan The establishment of the National Defense Industrial Corridor. Even the International Trade Administration says that Telangana has become the most dynamic aerospace and defense ecosystem in India.
If you recall that Telangana is not assigned to the Mega Powerloom Textile Cluster and that Nizamabad is not assigned a Turmeric Board, the list is endless.
Instead, the centre handed over the WHO Centre for Traditional Medicine, originally announced in Hyderabad, to Gujarat, while the newly established International Arbitration Centre in Hyderabad was ignored and another was set up in Gujarat.
Telangana hasn’t forgotten Modi’s infamous speech in parliament that insulted the vibrant Telangana nation-building movement, and it will be watching closely what Modi has to say this time around and how he tries to divert attention from Munughod and the Moinabad farmhouse ‘s attention.
