BJP accuses government of delaying construction of Metro in Old City

HYDERABAD: Alleging that the state government was delaying completion of the metro rail project in the Old City on the excuse of religious structures coming in the way, BJP members staged a walkout from the state legislative Assembly here on Monday.

Raising the issue, BJP floor leader G Kishan Reddy said the government was delaying the project in the name of religious structures obstructing the project. “People of the Old City have been are eagerly waiting to see that metro trains chug through their localities,’’ he said.

Municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao tried to assure that the project would be completed once the issue was resolved. The government would ensure completion of the works as planned once the issue of sensitive religious structures would get resolved.

While 25 sensitive structures, mostly religious, would have been affected due to the metro rail alignment between MGBS and Falaknuma, the number has been brought down to four, thanks to engineering solutions. Enough care would be taken during the construction to ensure that no damage was done to these four structures as the metro viaduct would be built over these structures to avoid any damage to the structures, he added. Not satisfied with the reply, the BJP members staged a walkout. The issue was raised by  MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi during the Question Hour.

Rama Rao said the state government would study the proposals on providing metro rail connectivity from Falaknuma as well as Nagole to the Shamshabad airport in a phased manner. The state government announced its plans to extend the metro corridor between Gachibowli (Raidurg) and Shamshabad airport as part of the second phase of the metro rail project.

Rama Rao said the government was keen on providing connectivity to the airport wherever feasible. He also allayed the fears of Akbaruddin that L&T was not willing to take up the work on the stretch from MGBS to Falaknuma. The minister said it was only a gossip as there was no information from L&T of backing out.

If the company backed out, the government would take the responsibility of completing the project, he assured. Rao told legislators from the city that their suggestions would be taken into account when Phase-II of the metro rail project was taken up.

4 Bills tabled in Assembly

• The Telangana Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers (Amendment) Bill, 2018

• The Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration (Amendment) Bill 2018

• A Bill further to amend The Telangana Advocates Welfare Fund Act 1987

• A Bill to amend The Telangana Advocates Clerks Welfare Fund Act, 1992.