KTR rails against Centre for junking Metro Rail proposal

Hyderabad: Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday blasted the Centre for rejecting the phase-II proposal of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project with 'illogical reasons and fake reports'. He criticised the Centre for 'blatant discrimination towards Telangana'. Reacting to reports that the Centre declined to approve the extension of Metro from Lakdikapul to BHEL and Nagole to LB Nagar on the grounds of feasibility, he said that it was strange that the government, which had sanctioned Metro projects to many cities with less traffic, had felt that Hyderabad does not qualify for a Metro Rail project.

Responding to the Telangana government's letter to extend financial assistance to the project, the Union ministry said, "the PHPDT (Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic) and ridership is very less and does not justify Metro Rail project at this juncture." It may be mentioned here that The Hans India had carried an article on the delay in execution of phase-II of Metro and the Centre seeking certain clarifications from the State government on the proposal.

The minister said it was nothing but 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, Prayag Raj, Meerut and cities located in some of their favoured States get qualified. This is nothing but pure discrimination and step-motherly treatment to Hyderabad and Telangana," he said.

KTR pointed out that his multiple attempts to meet Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri to explain the importance of the project went in vain. "Given your professional background, I had hoped that you would ensure fair and objective treatment to our infrastructure development proposals without any bias or prejudice," the minister said this in his letter to Puri. Rao stated that the State government was more than willing to clarify any doubts the Centre had on the project and requested for an appointment of Puri. "Nevertheless, I would once again urge you to get the phase-II proposal examined dispassionately on the merits of DPR and have it approved at an early date," he said.