Hyderabad: Central and state governments are considering sharing the project cost equally to complete the Hyderabad Metro Rail expansion, according to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar.
Speaking at a regional conference of urban development ministers and officials from southern states and union territories held in Hyderabad on Tuesday, November 18, Khattar announced that proposals have been received to construct an additional 160 kilometres of metro lines in the city.
Examining feasibility: Khattar
“We are examining the feasibility of these proposals and the central government will take a decision on which metro lines to approve by March,” he said.
The conference was attended by representatives from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy was the chief guest at the event. After the conference, Khattar held a press meet alongside Telangana IT and Industries minister Sridhar Babu and Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration minister Narayana.
Metro expansion plans for Hyderabad
Khattar highlighted that there is a growing demand across India for metro rail systems in urban centres. In Hyderabad, the metro project was initially implemented by the state government in partnership with L&T.
Recently, the state government has reached a preliminary agreement to take over the project from L&T. “The Telangana government is open to expanding the metro network in Hyderabad with central government participation. Both the central and state governments are considering sharing the project cost equally to complete the metro expansion,” Khattar stated.
Metro projects in Vishakapatnam, Vijayawada
He also mentioned that there are demands for metro projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. “We will examine these proposals and make a decision accordingly. The central government is also considering the development of Amaravati as a major city. We will provide the necessary funds for its growth based on the current area and development plans,” Khattar added.
Riverfront development and STP projects
The Telangana government has submitted proposals to the central government for the development of the Musi riverfront.
“In the first phase, we will develop a 9-kilometre stretch of the riverfront. We have approved the construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) every five kilometres to monitor water quality. Riverfront development and STP construction will be carried out simultaneously. Funds for Musi river cleaning will be provided through the AMRUT scheme and the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF),” Khattar said.
He also questioned state officials about why allocated funds for urban development are not being utilised effectively.
Testing laboratory for Musi river
Telangana IT and Industries Minister Sridhar Babu revealed that a testing laboratory has been approved to monitor the quality of Musi River water.
“Discussions were held on the central and state governments’ 50:50 cost-sharing model for the completion of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project,” he said.
