HYDERABAD: Minister for municipal administration and urban development K. T. Rama Rao on Tuesday said Hyderabad surpassed Chennai and Kolkata in development. He said the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government had ensured better infrastructure and controlled law and order situation in Hyderabad for the last seven years. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao predicted the challenges in the newly-carved Telangana state and concentrated on both infrastructure and law and order, he explained.
Replying to questions raised by members in the Legislative Council meeting here on Tuesday, Rama Rao explained integrated development of Hyderabad. Pro-term chairman V. Bhupal Reddy presided over the meeting.
Earlier, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata were metropolises in the country, but in recent times, Hyderabad and Bengaluru stood next to national capital Delhi and financial capital Mumbai, he said.
The minister said the state government was giving utmost importance to urban infrastructure. "We are developing drinking water and sewerage systems in the city," he said. The Godavari water is reaching the Nizamsagar project through Konda Pochamma reservoir and we are also trying to bring it to Hyderabad,” he said. Interlinking of river Godavari with Krishna water would be possible soon, he said. After 1908, the Musi river in Hyderabad witnessed floods last year and the government took up necessary measures to control the flood damage in the city, he said.
Reacting to the extension of Metro Rail to the Old City, Rama Rao said objections raised by locals and financial inability of the construction company delayed the project. L&T company asked for financial aid from the government for Metro rail extension, he said. Minister said that TIMS hospitals would be developed in all corners of Hyderabad along with Osmania, Gandhi and NIMS hospitals.
Meanwhile, MLC K. Kavitha asked the government to hike the honorarium to the municipal councillors, corporators, chairmen and mayors on the lines of MPTC, ZPTCs. Congress MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, MIM MLC Jafri, S. Vani Devi, D. Rajeshwar Rao and others raised questions. Ministers Mahmood Ali, T. Srinivas Yadav and V. Srinivas Goud replied to the members.
