PM Modi blames BRS govt for delay in implementing Union govt projects in Telangana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Hyderabad on Saturday, April 8 to flag off projects of the South Central Railways, including the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express. Addressing a huge gathering at Secunderabad’s Parade Ground, PM Modi criticised the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for allegedly not cooperating over Union government projects in the state, causing a delay. 

PM Modi alleged that a lack of cooperation from the state government was the primary reason for delay in Union government projects, affecting the people of Telangana. “I request the state government not to cause any hindrance in the development projects,” he said. In his speech, the Prime Minister also stated that there were similarities between corruption and nepotism. He said that corruption starts to flourish when there is nepotism, and added that gaining control was the main aim of family and dynasty politics. 

On an earlier visit too, PM Modi had taken a dig at CM KCR and his family by criticising “family-run parties” and asking people to liberate Telangana from family rule. This time, ahead of Modi’s visit, banners had emerged in Hyderabad with photographs of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders along with their son, daughter or other family member who is also in a powerful position, alleging that nepotism was prevalent in the BJP as well. 

PM Modi was received at the Begumpet airport on Saturday by Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, and other BJP leaders. Telangana Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav received the PM on behalf of the BRS government, as CM KCR skipped receiving Modi once again. KCR has stayed away during Modi’s engagements in Telangana on multiple occasions since 2022. 

On Saturday, the Prime Minister flagged off the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express. This train commences its journey at 3.15 pm from Tirupati and reaches Secunderabad at 11.45 pm, with stops in Nalgonda, Guntur, Ongole and Nellore. The train will begin its regular services from April 9. It will run six days a week, and bookings have already commenced on April 8. 

The train has a capacity of 530 passengers, and is the fastest train running between these two cities. It has a total of eight coaches, with seven ordinary air conditioned (AC) coaches and one executive AC coach.

The Prime Minister has also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Secunderabad Railway Station with a cost of Rs 720 crore. It has been announced that the station will be renovated with state-of-the-art facilities. Another project of doubling and electrification of the Secunderabad-Mahabubnagar railway line is also being taken up at a cost of Rs 1,410 crore. Thirteen new MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport System) trains connecting places within Hyderabad were also flagged off by the Prime Minister.