Orders on Hyderabad Metro Rail alignment reserved

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has submitted before the Hyderabad High Court that the construction and execution of the Metro Rail was in an advanced stage and the state and the concessionaire had invested huge amounts in the project.

K. Ramakrishna Reddy, advocate general, was arguing before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar in a writ appeal by the government against an interim order granted staying the  work in Greenlands-Shilparamam Corridor III.

Earlier, a single judge granted stay on a plea by Greenlands, Ameerpet Madhuranagar, Yusufguda, Sri Krishna Nagar Joint Action Committee and 20 others complaining that the alignment for Corridor III of the Metro Rail had been changed at Ameerpet area allegedly to protect  properties of highly influential persons.

The petitioners submitted that the route which was to pass through Jubilee Hills check post, L.V. Prasad Hospital, Punjagutta and Greenlands was  modified to pass through Krishnanagar, Yusufguda and Ameerpet.

They said the proposed Corridor III was not only technically unviable, but would lead to demolition of vast number of structures including residential, commercial and public institutions.

Refuting the contention of the petitioners, the AG said they had alleged that the authorities had changed the alignment i.e. stretch from Greenlands-Shilparamam, he said that the Metro Rail project was being executed in accordance with the approval and sanctioned alignment as notified in the revised Master Plan approved in 2010.

He submitted that the government had entered into an agreement with L&T for execution of the project from Shilparamam to Nagole, Jubilee Bus Station to Charminar and Miyapur to Chaitanyapuri corridors and the sanctioned master plan and alignment indicated were finalised in 2010. The Bench declared that the hearing was concluded and it was reserving its verdict.