YSR-proposed Apparel Park up for grabs

Karimnagar, Jan 30, 2013: The 90-acre Government land at Mandepally in Karimnagar district where Dr.YSR proposed the Apparel Park to help the handloom workers is now on the verge of being handed over to the real estate agents.

The Kiran Kumar Reddy-led Government has been trying to hand over the land to real estate agents in the name of expanding the nearby textile park and in the process ordered a survey of the land.

Dr.YSR proposed an Apparel Park with Rs.100 Cr investment in the land which was acquired from farmers and others. In 2008, the then District Collector Sandeep Kumar Sultania sent proceedings to Dr YSR intimating that the land was ready to launch the Apparel Park. But, unfortunately, the proposal to construct the Park was put in cold storage after the death of YSR.

Now, efforts are on by the officials to hand over the land, situated in survey number 377 on the outskirts of Mandepally in Sircilla Mandalam, to some people who have come forward to start industries.

“The land will be handed over to 250 persons who have come forward to start industries there as part of the expansion of the textile park,” said Prabhakar, RDD of the textile department after the survey on Tuesday. The survey was conducted by officials of both textiles and revenue departments.

Government’s move to hand over its 90-acre land to private persons in the name of expanding the textiles park after a 3-year gap raised suspicions as industries were established in only 115 plots out of the 217 plots in the 10-year old Textiles Park. And out of the 115 units, only 70 units are working presently. Those who got plots in the Textiles Park at the rate of Rs.40 per sq. yard, later sold them for Rs.15 lakh each.

In this background, the Government’s move to hand over the Apparel Park land to private persons fuelled speculations that it may be grabbed by the real estate agents with the tacit approval of the Government.