KTR’s Delhi visit: Owaisi reminds minister of old city’s metro project
Bewailing over the government's lack of interest in the project, Asad felt that rather than considering the importance of the Old City route the government was now focusing on suburbs.
By Md Nizamuddin Published on 24 Jun 2023 5:30 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Ahead of MA&UD Minister K T Rama Rao's meeting with Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi reiterated his demand for a metro line extension in the old city.
Hyderabad MP welcomed KTR’s meeting with Union Minister Rajnath Singh and the transfer of defence lands. He urged him to take up the issue of funding pending Metro Rail extension from MGBS to Falaknuma.
“When KTR meets his union counterpart Hardeep Singh Puri, hope the issue of funding for the JBS-Falaknuma metro line is also raised. Thousands of people commute every day on the route and it has not been taken up by successive governments,” he tweeted.
Lack of political will
Metro Rail extension on Corridor-II which had reached MGBS from JBS has hit a roadblock. The 5.5 km stretch remains unfulfilled development in the Old City area. In the initial years, it was blamed for a lack of political will. But now it appears that there is no opposition.
The cost has escalated. In 2022, MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi emphasized that despite the state government allocation of Rs 500 crore in the budget (2022-23), nothing has been done. However, the Hyderabad Metro Rail authorities remain apprehensive about the idea as the cost could now go up to Rs 2,500 crore.
Asad questions prioritizing metro extension in suburbs
Bewailing over the government's lack of interest in the project, Asad felt that rather than considering the importance of the Old City route the government was now focusing on suburbs.
“The priority should be the completion of already sanctioned routes. Strangely, the recently announced Kandukur-airport line is getting more attention than the Old City route,” he added.
Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on April 8, Asaduddin had also urged him to resolve the issue of the Metro Rail extension in Old City.
CM more eager to connect Kandukur
On June 20, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said the Hyderabad metro rail will not only extend to Shamshabad but also further to Kandukur in the Maheshwaram Assembly constituency.
KTR, who is on a two-day visit to Delhi, will be meeting Hardeep Singh Puri and there is a possibility of him meeting Union Home Minister, Amit Shah as well. He will be taking up the issues of metro rail extension towards BHEL on LB Nagar. Interestingly the expansion of the old city remains not on the agenda.
Citing that Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has failed to take up the issue of SRDP project completion near Rasoolpura, KTR is hopeful of meeting Amit Shah.
Sources said if he gets a chance to meet the Union Home Minister, he will be urging him to hand over about four acres of land under Home Department in this endeavor, near Begumpet Airport.
