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‘Cities with less traffic were sanctioned metro,’ KTR tells Centre as Hyderabad Metro phase 2 proposal rejected

Telangana minister KT Rama Rao urged the Union government to reconsider its decision in his letter to Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

ByAjay Tomar

Published Mar 28, 2023 | 6:27 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 28, 2023 | 6:28 PM

KTR hits at Centre over proposal rejection of phase 2 of Hyderabad metro

The phase 2 of Hyderabad metro will connect LB Nagar Metro Station with Nagole Metro Station over a distance of 26 km from BHEL to Lakdikapul. (Creative Commons)

Taking a strong objection to the Union government rejecting the proposal of the second phase of the Hyderabad Metro, Telangana IT & Urban Affairs Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday, 28 March, wrote a letter to the Union Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

The BRS leader asked the BJP-led Union government to reconsider its decision.

In February, KTR accused the Union government of meting out stepmotherly treatment of Telangana — as one would do to an “enemy state” — by refusing to make an allocation for Hyderabad’s metro project.

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‘Projects okayed for cities with less traffic’

He also reacted to reports claiming that the Centre declined to approve the extension of Metro from Lakdikapul to BHEL and Nagole to LB Nagar on feasibility grounds.

KTR said, “It is strange that the Union government, which sanctioned metro projects to many cities with less traffic, felt that Hyderabad did not qualify for a metro rail project.”

Phase 2 of the Hyderabad Metro is expected to connect the LB Nagar Metro Station with the Nagole Metro Station over a distance of 26 km from BHEL to Lakdikapul.

Earlier, while responding to the Telangana government’s letter to extend financial assistance to the Hyderabad Metro phase 2 projects, the Union ministry noted that the PHPDT (Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic) and ridership of Hyderabad were very less and do not justify a metro rail project at this juncture.

As per KTR, it was nothing but the Union Government’s blatant discrimination against Telangana.

“If the traffic of Hyderabad’s high-density corridors does not qualify for a metro rail project, I wonder how a number of small cities of UP like Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Agra, Prayagraj, Meerut, and cities located in some of their favoured states qualified. This is nothing but pure discrimination and stepmotherly treatment to Hyderabad and Telangana,” KTR said.

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Unable to meet Union Minister

KTR claimed that his multiple attempts to meet Union Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to explain the importance of Hyderabad Metro phase 2 went in vain.

“Given your professional background, I had hoped that you would ensure the fair and objective treatment of our infrastructure development proposals without any bias or prejudice,” KTR wrote in his letter to Puri.

He added that the Telangana government was more than willing to clarify the doubts of the Union government, but requested an appointment of Puri.

“Nevertheless, I would once again urge you to get the Hyderabad Metro Rail phase 2 project proposal examined dispassionately on the merits of DPR and have it approved early,” KTR said.