Centre Funds MMTS Extension
HYDERABAD: The Centre has decided to bear the expenses required to extend the second phase of MMTS services right up to the temple town of Yadadri, said Union minister G. Kishan Reddy, here on Thursday. The state government had not come forward to pay for the project, he said.
Speaking to the media after a review meeting with South Central Railway (SCR) officials and MPs from Telangana and Karnataka on the ongoing works in the two states, Reddy said that works for the MMTS extension till Yadadri would cost `650 crore.
He pointed out that the state government owes `800 crore to the Centre as its share for the project. However, the state has been silent as regards railway development works.
Reddy announced that the Centre was going ahead with its plans to set up a wagon manufacturing unit in Kazipet at a cost of `650 crore. Stating that several developmental works to the tune of `33,000 crore were underway in different stages in SCR limits, the minister said that budgetary allocations for SCR have been considerably increased and stands at `6,000 crore in the current financial year.
He said that SCR was working towards completing 90 per cent electrification of railway lines in its limits.
Listing out the major contributions made to SCR by the Centre, Reddy said that the Secunderabad station was being upgraded into a modern airport-like facility with `720 crore. The new-look station will be ready by the end of 2025. A new terminal at Cherlapally, coming up at a cost of `430 crore, will be inaugurated soon, he said.
In addition to the five Vande Bharat trains operating from Secunderabad, the Centre is keen to introduce more such trains in other routes, Reddy said.
MPs including D.K. Aruna, M. Raghunandan Rao and K.R. Suresh Reddy also reviewed the progress of works, including under-passes, bridges and electrification with railway officials.