Hyderabad: MA&UD minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday directed government departments and organisations concerned to hand over identified properties to Hyderabad Airport Metro Ltd to immediately start construction works on the line.
At a high-level review meeting held at the Metro Rail Bhavan, where Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and Metro Rail MD N.V.S. Reddy were also present, Rama Rao also directed the GMR’s airport authorities to hand over 48 acres for a Metro Rail depot.
After N.V.S. Reddy gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the project, Rama Rao directed him to start a survey of all new Metro corridors recently approved by the Cabinet and get preliminary project reports, as well as detailed project reports, for seeking approval from the Centre.
Rama Rao advised special chief secretary (finance) K. Ramakrishna Rao and MA&UD special chief secretary Arvind Kumar to explore various funding models for the new Metro projects.
The minister also instructed collectors of Hyderabad, Medchal and Sangareddy to identify vacant land parcels near the existing and proposed Metro stations for developing multi-level car parks.
The Metro expansion has been the focus of the city’s population, given the expansion of the city in a short period and currently hosting international brands, it becomes imperative to strengthen the public transport system. The state government is also banking on the Metro expansion to resolve traffic woes on city roads.
In the meeting, the minister said, “By introducing more coaches, improving feeder services, and developing better footpaths, the current Metro ridership of 5 lakh per day can be doubled and vehicular congestion reduced in the city.”
Rama Rao requested Santhi Kumari to hold periodical coordination meetings and facilitate expeditious execution of the Airport Metro project and also pursue with the senior officers concerned in the Government of India for approval of the '9,100-crore BHEL-Lakdikapul and Nagole-LB Nagar expansions works as a joint venture of the state and the Centre.
In a separate meeting with Akbaruddin Owaisi, Rama Rao directed the Metro Rail MD to expedite the land acquisition process in the Old City corridor and start construction to improve connectivity to Falaknuma.
Rama Rao held a meeting with MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and Metro Rail officials, wherein he called for land acquisition for the Old City Metro corridor to be expedited.
The meeting was attended by MA&UD special chief secretary Arvind Kumar and Metro Rail MD N.V.S. Reddy.
In the meeting, officials also discussed plans to extend the Metro and connect the Airport Metro line with the Falaknuma, as well as a line from LB Nagar to Falaknuma, via Owaisi Hospital.
Among other works, on the representation of Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Telangana government will establish an Electronic Park-cum-Hub at Pahadishareef, on 50 acres of Wakf Board land. The foundation stone for this project, as well as two hanging bridges at Salar Jung Museum, will be laid soon.
The work near the museum will enable hawkers in Old City to conduct their business.
