Curation Team
HYDERABAD: The state govt has decided to develop an Information Technology Knowledge Hub on 450 acres in Puppalaguda. The project aims to provide employment to five lakh people.
The 450 acres earmarked for the hub includes nearly 200 acres provided earlier to housing societies by previous govts and another 250 acres abutting it that belongs to the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC).
The decision was taken at a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee presided over by deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and including revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and industries minister D Sridhar Babu.
“We have just discussed land parcels available for development of knowledge park and officials informed us about availability. The state cabinet will take a decision on land allotments and development of the knowledge hub,” Vikramarka told TOI.
In the past two decades, govts in united Andhra Pradesh and later in Telangana had allotted nearly 200 acres to various societies representing MLAs, MPs, IAS officers, revenue officers and special police cooperative societies. But this land allotment to the societies was recently cancelled by the Supreme Court.
The state govt is reportedly focussed on huge land parcels available around Gachibowli for development of IT hubs and knowledge parks. Even the 400 acres at Kancha Gachibowli was proposed to be auctioned, but that has now been shelved following SC direction.
The Puppalaguda Knowledge Hub land is fully developed and does not have any issues such as forest land or encroachments. If the govt wished to auction the land, it can be used immediately, sources said. While the state govt has not indicated if it planned to auction or allot the land to IT firms, it is most likely to go for auctioning big parcels like the previous BRS govt, sources said.
The foundation for the first IT hub at Hi-Tec City was laid by then Congress chief minister N Janardhan Reddy, and the IT corridor was later extended to financial districts and surrounding areas.
“Now, in an effort to continue the IT growth in Hyderabad, the state govt has decided to develop a Knowledge Hub in Puppalaguda,” an official said.
