Hyderabad: A decade-long dream of city rail commuters, namely the phase-II of the Multi Model Transportation System (MMTS), is still facing impediments in land acquisition. Although the Telangana government is providing assistance through the revenue and finance departments in this matter and giving compensation to displaced families, a major constraint is of defence lands.
Two corridors out of six in the phase-II need allotment of defence lands. The South Central Railway (SCR) and MPs from the city have already sounded the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to expeditiously resolve the issue. The MMTS-II proposals were raised in 2007 as the first phase got done and the commuter occupancy rate was recorded at 90 per cent. The railway ministry gave its green signal for the phase-II project in the railway budget for 2012-13 and it has been sanctioning funds in a phased-manner to complete the survey and other works. As per estimates, the total estimated cost of the project is '817crore, out of which two-thirds should be shared by the Telangana government and the remaining by the central government.
SCR general manager Vinod Kumar Yadav said the Telangana government has sanctioned Rs 60crore and an additional Rs 160crore would be released for the works. “Besides this, the TS government is taking care of land acquisition and compensations. At most of the corridors, the government has acquired land, altogether seven acres out of the total required 10 acres. We have been approaching defence officials for clearances and approvals for the laying of new lines in the defence area.
Local military brass is waiting for approvals from the Ministry of Defence. Once we get this, we will gear up the works in the defence areas,” he said. The six corridors are the Secunderabad to Ghatkesar via Moulali, the Secunderabad to Medchal via Bollarum, the Falaknuma to Shamshabad via Umdanagar, the Moulali to Sanathnagar, the Moulali to Seethafalmandi and the Tellapur to Ramachandrapuram.
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) official P. Srinivas said the works including doubling lines and electrification on Secunderabad-Ghatkesar sector would be completed by December 2017 and the entire project would be operational two years hence -- by December, 2018.
Proposal to rein in traffic chaos at RGIA sent to govt:
MMTS Phase-2 will give a solution to the traffic towards Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA). As per the request made by the airport authorities, the SCR is extending lines about 5.75 kilometers from Falaknuma – Umdanagar – Shamshabad.
The 20 km long new railway lines will ensure saving of time to passengers and reduces general traffic flow on Bengaluru highway from Aramghar to Shamshabad. GMR authorities have also asked the SCR seeking MMTS services from Ghatkesar to Shamshabad targetting traffic from Boduppal, Narapally, and Ghatkesar. As per the proposals of Railway, the MMTS phase-II would be laid between Falaknuma and Umdanagar (13.5 km) and based on the request made by the airport authorities; it is extending the service from Umdanagar to Shamshabad (6.5 km).
GM of SCR Mr. Vinod Kumar Yadav said that the railway has already submitted a sketch showing terminal station and consent from GMR is awaited and the same has to be resolved by state government on the proposed new line.
