Days after verbal spat, KTR and Owaisi Jr together review development plans for Old Hyderabad

He also listed the works underway and progress achieved in projects such as providing drinking water, power supply, mobility infrastructure, maintaining sanitation, conservation of heritage structures, and others.

During the Assembly session on 4 February, Owaisi had alleged that the state government was not taking up development works in the Old City and that he was not able to meet the chief minister, ministers or officials to discuss pending projects and welfare programmes.

Development projects for Old City

KTR said that as part of the Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP), strengthening the road network in the Old City was going on at a brisk pace.

“Several flyovers and construction of roads have been completed. Maintenance of major roads is going on effectively under the Comprehensive Road Maintenance Programme (CRMP). Works related to traffic junctions, construction of foot overbridges and the construction of bridges over the Musi river, where necessary, are underway at a brisk pace,” he noted.

While stating that the widening of roads in the densely-populated Old City was a challenge, KTR asked officials to speed up the works in localities where road-widening is essential.

"Irrespective of parties and places, development of entire Hyderabad is the ultimate motto of Telangana Government": Municipal Administration Minister @KTRBRS in a review meeting on the progress development works in the Old City held at HGCL Office, Hyderabad. pic.twitter.com/P0P4lzdiAB

— KTR, Former Minister (@MinisterKTR) February 7, 2023

KTR, an MLA from the Sircilla Assembly constituency, added that the state government is ready to allocate funds for land acquisition for the development works underway in the Old City.

he contended that the drinking water supply has improved in the Old City in the last eight years.

“More than ₹1,200 crore was spent for the development of drinking water facilities. Over 2.5 lakh connections were taken in the old city under our free water supply scheme,” the BRS leader said.

KTR said that plans are ready for the restoration of Mir Alam mandi (market) and that the proposals for the construction of a six-line cable bridge over the Mir Alam tank are in the DPR (detailed project report) stage.

Owaisi expresses satisfaction

Thanking the Telangana government, Akbaruddin Owaisi, the AIMIM floor leader, said, “My party is ready to extend all forms of support and cooperation to implement the state government’s development programmes at a rapid pace.”

The argument in the Assembly started with Owaisi questioning the BRS over Telangana Governor Tamil Soundararajan’s address and remaining silent on discrimination and the step-motherly treatment being meted out to Telangana by the BJP government at the Centre.

He then criticised the delays in projects such as the extension of Hyderabad Metro Rail to the Old City, Charminar pedestrianisation, the Islamic Cultural Centre, and renovation of the Osmania General Hospital.

KTR countered this and said, “Owaisi does not attend Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings, which finalise Assembly working days, but raises this issue in the House.”

To this Owaisi had retorted, “What if I don’t attend BAC meetings? Even the CM (K Chandrashekar Rao) does not attend BAC meetings. I have sent a letter to the Speaker requesting at least 20 working days.”