The South India Times
(Our Special Correspondent)
Ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections, the BJP MLA from Dubbak, M Raghunandan Rao, has kicked up an interesting controversy over the state government’s decision to expand the metro-rail expansion in the second phase to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad.
A video interview of Raghunandan in which he kicked up a row, has gone viral on social media platforms. His pertinent question was; why not Old City, instead of RGIA? If the decision was not to ignore Old City as are political considerations, then for what else?The metro-rail, services, if extended to Old City, the BJP MLA feels would help bring the majority of residents of the Old City and the minority community living under astute poverty there, could have been made rightful partners in the overall development of the state. But, he alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is scared of hurting his all-weather ally AIMIM headed by Asaduddin Owaisi.
According to him, the AIMIM thrives under the poverty-stricken Muslim community, which has been made as their party’s fiefdom, to ensure no other party can penetrate their bastion.
Many BJP leaders feel that the AIMIM chief has ensured himself of winning not the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, but also seven assembly segments that fall under his parliament constituency, besides also of 30-40 corporators in the GHMC. Raghunandan Rao’s argument is not without merit—the Old City, has for decades, been languishing and all it got from the AIMIM, has been abject neglect.
But then, there is the converse argument also. Despite years of neglect and institutionalised indifference, residents of the old city comprising the minority community predominantly, continue to vote for an AIMIM blindly. It is likely that even if the metro rail project were to be extended to the old city, things would not change—people would continue to vote for Owaisi’s party rather than turn to the TRS.
The State Government has urged the Central Government to accord in-principle approval for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase -II project from BHEL to Lakdikapul costing Rs 8,453 crore, as a jointly owned project of the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Telangana with external financial assistance.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) KT Rama Rao in a letter addressed to Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday requested that the said proposal be included in the ensuing Union Budget for the year 2023-24.
Meanwhile, the state government has recently given its nod to the Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML). The Airport Express Line’s foundation stone was laid by the state Chief Minister on December 9. The project is expected to cost Rs. 6,250 crores and will be executed by HAML.
As per the latest plan revealed by Hyderabad Metro’s MD, the Phase 2 project will include 4 elevated corridors – 1 new line and 3 extensions of the existing lines built in the 67 km Phase I project. It hasn’t been finalized whether this phase will be developed on the EPC method or the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) route.
This new line will pass through Gachibowli and Himayathsagar via the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to connect with Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad.
Its Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this extension was prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in 2018-19. The line is estimated to cost Rs. 6,250 cr and will be executed by Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) – a new special-purpose vehicle. Funds are expected to be provided by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the GMR Group.
The old plan consisted of 5 lines covered a part of several Old City areas. However, out of that, only one extension line from Raidurg to the RGI Airport has been retained in the new plan. Why is this so, asks the BJP MLA.
If one has to believe news reports, even the Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro Rail, NVS Reddy, has no convincing answer to why the Old City is being ignored in the second phase.
The BJP, to justify its allegation against the ruling government for deliberately ignoring the Old City in the second phase also reminds it of how it opposed the rail line already built opposite the state assembly for fictitious reasons. As a result, the first phase got delayed.
The TRS proposal, on paper, sounds modernistic and clearly will be a boon to Hyderabad in terms of connectivity and mass transit. Metro-rail & Old City
