Revanth Reddy urges Modi to sanction Regional Ring Rail and dry port
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant approvals and funds for Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase II, which is being undertaken to connect all areas of the Hyderabad metropolitan city.
Informing the Prime Minister that the previous BRS government had not focused on expanding the Metro Rail in Hyderabad during its 10-year rule, Revanth Reddy said the Phase II Metro Rail project covering a 76.4 km stretch is proposed in Hyderabad at an estimated cost of ₹24,269 crore. He requested the immediate approval of the Metro Rail project.
Revanth Reddy met Modi at his official residence in New Delhi on Wednesday and was accompanied by IT and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu.
The Chief Minister also briefed the Prime Minister on state-related issues, including pending projects and the sanctioning of additional IPS officers for Telangana.
The Chief Minister appealed to Modi to immediately sanction the southern part of the Hyderabad Regional Ring Road (RRR). He said 90 per cent of the land acquisition has already been completed for the northern part of the RRR and urged Modi to expedite construction works on the northern section, as the RRR can be fully utilised only if both the southern and northern parts are completed simultaneously.
Revanth Reddy also informed the Prime Minister about the state government's readiness to bear 50 per cent of the cost of land acquisition for the southern part and also explained the proposal to develop a Regional Ring Rail project parallel to the Hyderabad RRR. He highlighted that railway connectivity in Telangana and other states would improve if the Regional Ring Rail project is completed and urged the Prime Minister to grant permission for it.
Since Telangana is a landlocked state, the Chief Minister also requested Modi to sanction a dry port near the Regional Ring Road to facilitate the export and import of goods. The CM further proposed a greenfield road along with a rail line to connect the seaport in Andhra Pradesh with the dry port in Telangana.
Explaining the importance of the river Musi, which flows through Hyderabad, in Telangana’s culture and spirituality, Revanth Reddy sought the Centre's support for the prestigious Musi Rejuvenation Project. He urged Modi to extend `20,000 crore in financial assistance for the project.
The Chief Minister also requested the Central government’s cooperation in the transfer of 222.7 acres of defence land for the Gandhi Sarovar project at the confluence of the Isa and Musa rivers.
The Chief Minister briefed the Prime Minister about the shortage of IPS officers in Telangana in light of increasing cybercrimes, drug trafficking cases, and rapid urbanisation in the state. After the bifurcation of the state, 61 IPS cadre posts were allotted to Telangana, with 15 additional posts sanctioned in 2015 after a review. He requested Modi to sanction 29 more IPS posts for the state.
As Telangana has favourable conditions for setting up the semiconductor industry, the Chief Minister also appealed to the Prime Minister to grant the India Semiconductor Mission project to the state.
