Rajiv Gandhi laid foundation for Hyd IT industry

Hyderabad became an IT hub thanks to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as it was he who laid the foundation for the city’s IT industry, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said. Speaking at a meeting organised to mark Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary at the Somajiguda Circle here on Tuesday, he said the government would take forward the Rajiv Technology Mission. Referring to the remarks of BRS leaders over development of the IT industry, Bhatti said the person who claims to have studied abroad and worked as the Minister for IT should know who had contributed the most to the development of the IT sector in Hyderabad. It was Rajiv Gandhi who introduced the mobile phone technology, encouraged the dairy sector, gave voting right to 18-year-olds and created the IT revolution, he pointed out. Bhatti reiterated that all encroachments of government lands and tanks would be cleared by HYDRA. Dharani software would be discarded as it was brought in by the BRS to help the rich, he said. Lashing out at BRS leaders for their irrational talk, Bhatti said there is no comparison between the BRS government which took 10 years to waive loans up to Rs 1 lakh taken by farmers and the Congress government which waived the loans of farmers up to Rs 2 lakh at one go within 10 days. Dismissing the loose remarks of BRS leaders on MoUs signed by the Chief Minister and the Industry Minister, Bhatti said that companies would come only if MoUs are signed. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy signed these agreements to help people.