08/10/2018
Cyber deficit: East zone may not get IT push anytime soon
Hyderabad: While huge structures are continuing to come up in West Zone- Cyberabad, lopsided development approach and skewed allocation of resources have caused East Zone to lag behind the rest of the city in attracting IT companies. To an extent, the east side of the city, towards Uppal, may not see any new IT companies. Despite having bigwigs such as Infosys and Genpact, there is lack of infrastructure facilities here to setup new IT parks. Big companies have not come on the east side after these two made inroads in the past decade.
The development of east zone lies in limbo due to traffic mayhem on the Warangal Highway and lack of land parcels within the Outer Ring Road (ORR).
“In the recent past, we did not make any allotments to IT companies on the east side within the ORR. Only a couple of companies were given allotments but those who failed to aggressively pursue it were given notices. The land has got exhausted and there is no demand for IT in this region. So we are not looking at this area as one for Tech companies,” an official of TS State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSIIC) said.
There are some small tech companies that were set up in Arena towers and a new structure from DSL Infra is coming up here. “Within two years, due to private involvement, some 40 companies had set up operations in DSL Infra at Habsiguda. It is for the state government to send a new proposal once again to the Centre for announcing east side for Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR). This particular government’s priorities have changed and thrust is not given to projects on the east side,” Uppal BJP MLA N.V.S.S Prabhakar said.
Experts believe that incentivising companies will switch to east side. Tapping the area from airport to Pocharam is the only way to balance the development. “If another four or five big tech companies make inroads on the east side, market will move here. People have envisaged development on the east side and to push that, private developers should be engaged for development from airport to Pocharam,” C. Shekar Reddy, former national president of CREDAI said. While there were no IT companies, TSIIC had allotted land to TS Industrialists Welfare Federation (TIF) for developing the green industrial park for MSMEs at Dandu Malkapur.
Widening of Uppal road likely in May
The long pending project of Uppal-Narapally corridor which will decongest the Warangal highway in the east zone is yet to be realised. There are about 250 properties that are needed to be acquired for the four-lane elevated corridor. Nearly 150 consent letters were given by land and building owners and this was notified to IT minister Mr K.T. Rama Rao. “There were changes made to the proposal in the past two years and the land acquisition was not taken up on a war footing. Currently property assessment and cheques have to be disbursed for speedy acquisition. The Center is keen on this proposal and the tenders will open within a fortnight,” said Mr N.V.S.S Prabhakar, Uppal MLA who recently met Union minister Mr Nitin Gadkari and submitted a representation for the elevated corridor.
A request has been put up for deputing a special officer to execute this humongous project of Rs 960 crore. An officer is yet to be deputed to ascertain the land acquisition by assessing the properties and identifying the extent of land required. “The project is like to take off earliest in the month of May, even if the tenders are floated in first week of March. This project is likely to be completed within one year, after starting,” said Mr Prabhakar.
Meanwhile, real estate developers believe that realization of this project will further increase the residential activity in this zone. Mr. S Ram Reddy, President of CREDAI said, "The elevated corridor will certainly boost the realty in the East side wherein affordable housing is available. With metro rail picking up and MMTS phase2, the land rates are reasonable for mid-level buyers."
