A Timeline Of Cyberabad History: Fact-Check For Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad: In the past few weeks Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been claiming that Cyberabad was built by him. This has became a point of contention in every speech he has been making during political campaigns happening in the state of Telangana ahead of the upcoming polls on December 7. In his political speeches, he also boasts that it was he who introduced computers to the city and also takes credit for the prestigious outer ring road earning the wrath of the ruling party and opposition parties in Telangana. Is it justified to take credit for something that was already in existence ?Now if you see, the chief ministers of other states who were equally instrumental in building their cities you see a different perspective. Let’s have a look…

Bengaluru SM Krishna, former Chief Minister of Karnataka who led the IT revolution, never boasted about turning Bangalore into a Silicon city even though everybody knows about his contribution.Mumbai Sharad Pawar never claimed that it was he, who developed Mumbai as a business centre. He never stated that it was under his reign that the sugarcane cultivators flourished.Tamil Nadu

Jayalalitha, who developed Tamil Nadu never took credit for her contribution. Though however none of them claimed their acts, it is only Chandrababu who does it.

The birth and Growth of Indian IT Industry In bid to understand growth pattern of Cyberabad and its surrounding over the past 25 years, our Sakshi reporter found a book , “ The birth and Growth of Indian IT Industry” which talks about software industry in India , the evolution ,the growth factors and its trajectory. This book also has information regarding the torch bearers in the industry.IT seed laid by PV Narasimha Rao from what was gathered through the book , IT companies were interested in developing a centre in Hyderabad way back in 1987. In 1991 PV Narasimha Rao came in to power as the prime minister of the country and took keen interest in promoting IT. In 1992, the then Chief Minister Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy brought the IT policy in place and gave place for the IT companies in Ameerpet. The first software park was also established in a building called Mythrivanam which is still there.

Intergraph enters Hyderabad in 1987 Computer Maintenance Corporation and Development Centre (CMC) was also established here. In August 1987, Intergraph an international company started their operations in Hyderabad. Then Ramalinga Raju started Satyam along with his relatives and the company in 1992 went for a public issue and went on to become the fourth largest company in the world. In 1993 the then Chief Minister Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy took a decision to grant lands to the IT industry in Madhapur, when some of the prominent people from the industry came forward to develop it here. This makes it clear that the framework for IT development was done long before Chandrababu Naidu even thought of it.

IT Parks and STPI launchedAccording to a state rankings survey, Hyderabad was in the 8th place in India, when Chandrababu was stepping down from office as a chief Minister. Chandrababu also claimed that it he who introduced computer literacy into the Telugu states, but that is a blatant lie. The former Prime Minister late PV Narasimha Rao, with a vision that IT would give employment to the youths and help the overall development of the country, granted six IT parks to Hyderabad. Information Technology Ministry was developed as a branch under the Central information and broadcasting ministry and the STPI was started in Ameerpet. But Chandrababu, who came to power after three years did not give a shape to PV's vision.

Cyber City completed by 2010 during Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy's tenure Sakshi also turned towards Google earth for finding the ground realities. In the search, it was found that only Cyber Towers was an existing building and it is due to the policies made by people’s leader and former Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Cybercity was completed by 2010.

In 1995 by the time Chandrababu came into power, the neighbouring Bengaluru was witnessing a boom phase in the software industry, yet Chandrababu took no interest in IT at that point of time. He also neglected the decision to construct buildings and granting lands to develop the industry, initiated by Chief Ministers' Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy and Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy. Chandrababu left the development of the IT sector to the winds and focused on real estate for income gains.

Research reports indicate real estate Mafia According to the Princeton Institute of International and Regional studies research scholar Dalel Benbalali, who spent an year in Madhapur, Kondapur, Gachibowli researching on the topic came out with some astonishing facts. And one major fact that came out was that Chandrababu had made people from his own community buy lands there and later took decision to build Cyber towers there.

Even before laying of first stone for Cyber Towers Chandrababu had made his benamis buy lands in Gachibowli, Kondapur, Nanakramguda , Nallagandla and other surrounding areas . The land owners who were unaware about Chandrababu establishing an IT industry in the area gave their lands at throw away prices.

The lands of SC/ST’s, which were used for agriculture, were also grabbed by the government. Chandrababu planned Cyber Towers in such a way that the land prices of his benami’s grow. L&T was given the contract without inviting any tenders, which is nothing but graft. By the time Chandrababu became care taker Chief Minister, only Cyber Towers building was completed and no other building was under construction. Considering the facts in hand, how can Chandrababu claim himself to be the founder of Cyberabad we ask? Cyberabad came to be known as a city under the reign of Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, because of the initiatives taken by the esteemed leader it was completed by the year 2008 and companies started floating in. Financial district was not even a proposal in the Chandrababu’s rule. Then why is Chandrababu making such claims, that he built Cyberabad, the reason behind this claim is KCR’s comment against him.Chandrababu was flabbergasted when KCR said if Chandrababu built Hyderabad then what did Quli Qutub Shah built? Chandrababu right away stated that he built Cyberabad. But the irony is by the time Chandrababu stepped down as Chief Minister, even the first phase of Hi-Tech city was not started. There was no single word about Financial District. Proposal for Ring road was not seen. All these development activities came under the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s rule. After observing Google earth pictures of 2003, we came to a conclusion that it is after six years of Chandrababu’s government that Cyberabad took birth.

We would now like to ask:- Why is Chandrababu making such false claims?-Why is beating his own trumpet about building an international airport, outer ring road, and Hyderabad metro?- Why is he claiming that he placed Hyderabad in the world map? Is Hi-Tech city an example?- Why is he adamant on taking the credit of building the city of Cyberabad and adding his name to it?

Megalomania is the only likely explanation.

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