Sangareddy has failed to make it to the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) list despite being the district headquarters for combined Medak district for several decades. On the other hand, Siddipet, the then revenue division, was able to make grade even before becoming the district headquarters.
In June 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the AMRUT scheme to equip urban areas with better facilities. The towns selected under the scheme would get funding for providing facilities like water supply, sewerage network, and transport.
As many as 12 towns were selected from Telangana, and Siddipet was one among them.
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Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao executed the plan to get Siddipet eligible for the scheme, and the merger of the surrounding villages into the Siddipet municipality acted as an advantage as far as the population goes.
“A town should have a population of one lakh to get selected to the AMRUT scheme. Every year, Rs. 20 crore will be sanctioned by the Union government for a period of five years. Rs. 100 crore for development is in no way a small amount for any town. There should be political willingness to get these schemes. Here in Sangareddy it is lacking,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
As per the 2011 census, the population of Sangareddy municipality was 72,000. It is estimated that currently the population could be around 80,000.
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The entry point to Sangareddy, Pothireddypalle, has been developing fast compared even to Sangareddy town, with the integrated collectorate being situated in the same village.
The merger of Pothireddypalle, Nagapur, Chintalapally, Ganjigudem, and Tallapally with Sangareddy municipality would increase the chances of the district headquarters to be eligible next time around.
“Before such a merger, we have to take the consent of the villages authorities, and the panchayats have to pass a resolution in this regard. This can only be made possible by political intervention. It may not be good if we miss the bus next time too,” the officer said.