Hyd visit in Feb-09

Wow…!

This was my first response when I saw Hyderabad after yesterday, 5 months. Sometimes, I feel that it is steady and progressive development happening in Hyderabad because people as well as the bureaucracy and legislature there have tasted and realized the worth of a developed city and what development can do to them in terms of lifestyle, respect and money.

I came to Hyd in 2004 and in a 4 year span since then, I have witnessed an enormous growth of Hyderabad. The ring roads, Shamshabad airport, numerous flyovers, MMTS, numerous roads, road widening, mid-road gardens, numerous shopping malls and multiplexes, new SEZ areas…Hyderabad is rocking. In the past, I have discussed with people who have been born and brought up in Hyd and could understand that what we see now is a re-invented Hyderabad and the brain behind this re invention is none other than Mr Naidu.

Politically, the development could be to get the votes from the educated and high class community but the benefits of these developments are for all to experience. I feel that all the states should make this a role model for development. I have read that the same is happening with Gujarat even though I have not visited there even once. These kinds of progress should be set as bench marks for all states in India.

Andhra is not anymore the land of illiterate, poor and idiotic country bumpkins but it is the land of hitech and bluechips. I consider myself fortunate to be a spectator to the development and emergence of Hyderabad as the most promising city of India, a city that two presidents of the US wanted to visit see with their own eyes. The development and emergence of Hyderabad definitely had its share of influence on me.

The development barometer for our country should be calibrated using cities like Hyderabad, Gujarat and Noida. Once this is properly calibrated, it will indicate in pure black and white, the state of affairs of the other states of India. Development should be immune to politics and politicians. Unfortunately, our country does not have a system for such barometer and that could be where the other states are lacking. They are sustaining and not progressing.

The visit to Hyderabad after five months was eye opening and illustrative of the progressive attitude and vision of the development brains of Andhra Pradesh. What took me by surprise the most was the ORR from Gachibowli to Shamshabad and the stretch from Gachibowli junction to stadium.

Even though the brain behind the master plan of Hyderabad was Mr Naidu, his successor Mr Reddy took the unfinished job forward and ensured that the momentum is not lost. Thai could be perhaps of his realization that only a developed Hyderabad can woo people and business to walk towards the city and only then can money flow in. The benefits are for all to experience and enjoy. I believe that when someone lives in a place like this, it is sure to influence your thoughts and the so called destiny.

Investments should be properly streamlined and used in such a way that those investments invite prosperity. The ORR in Hyd is a typical example. This one cuts through many parts of Hyd which were previously termed as remote. However, with the commissioning of the ORR, those places are not remote any more. The development rains have tactically allocated SEZs in the surrounding regions so that there is commercial benefit from the ventures. This is sure to help and make the people around that area richer.

On another note, during this visit, something that I really enjoyed, experienced and revisited is the shared auto travel in Hyd. It is just amazing. It is infact an answer to the government transport facilities stating that we, the public do not give a damn and we know what to do and how to get moving. Any trip to Hyd is incomplete without the travel experience in shared autos and this time that was my only mode of commutation for q week and I had left my car in a different state of India…lol. The shared autos in Hyd empower people to travel and do not let the public transport system cripple and handicap them, when they even think of going out of their homes. Other states should definitely make this an example. Also, see the number of people who earn their living by this running this mode of transport. This is a strong and arrogant answer to the money exploiting auto wallas of Bangalore and Chennai. Btw, Kerala is also in the same league now.

My whole point here is that any development that takes birth in some neuron should have vision as the sperm and progress as the egg. Hyderabad is definitely one good example that can be taken as the benchmark. I think what we should try to do is overdo do what Hyd has achieved and they reset the benchmark. Good day…!