Telangana IT Minister, Sridhar Babu Duddilla (file photo)
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Telangana on Monday urged the Centre to restore import duty on crude palm oil (CPO) to 44 per cent from the current 10 per cent, and to exclusively allocate urea produced at the Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) plant to the state, pressing both demands ahead of the critical kharif sowing season.State IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu raised the issues during a meeting with Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi, an official statement said.On fertilisers, the minister cited disruptions faced by the state last year, arguing that exclusive allocation of RFCL output would provide supply stability. On palm oil, he said restoring the higher tariff was essential to protect the livelihoods of oil palm farmers.Beyond agriculture, Sridhar Babu used the meeting to push a wider industrial agenda aligned with Telangana's 'Rising Vision 2047'. He sought central support for a logistics hub at Zaheerabad's Industrial Smart City, noting that the Hyundai Group has committed Rs 8,500 crore to establish a Global Innovation and R&D Centre there.The minister also informed Goyal that the state is preparing Detailed Project Reports for 15- 20 plug-and-play industrial parks under Phase-1 of the 'Bhavya' scheme, and sought approvals within the June-July 2026 application window.The minister also pitched for an Aero-Defence Corridor for the state, two mega leather parks under the Mega Leather, Footwear, and Accessories Cluster Development (MLFACD) scheme, and central clearance for a Rs 2,050-crore Multi-Modal Logistics Park at Manoharabad in Medak district, being developed in partnership with National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML).Published on June 23, 2026
