Kishan Reddy urges CM Revanth to expedite Hyderabad Metro Phase II

The Centre has agreed in principle to the long-pending Phase II expansion of the Metro network in Hyderabad, said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, who has shot off a letter to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy complaining about the delay on the part of the state government in moving forward with the project. Phase II of the Metro expansion can be taken up only after the state government completes the takeover of Phase I from L & T.

Union Minister for Coal and MP from Secunderabad, G Kishan Reddy, met his Cabinet colleague and Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, over the expansion of the Metro Railway Phase II. He was told that the Chief Minister had agreed to the formation of the joint committee with the Centre for the implementation of the project. The Centre will convene a meeting of the Joint Committee once the state government nominates its two representatives.

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However, before convening the meeting, the state government must complete the task of the takeover of Phase I from L&T after the latter exited the project last year. The takeover should include the settlement of all financial transactions related to Phase I. Moreover, the state government should submit detailed proposals for Phase -II construction to the central government.

Reddy stated, “The Government of India has already agreed in principle to Phase II with the understanding that the takeover of Phase I from L&T is completed first and coordination begins through the Joint Committee agreed earlier.” He also urged the Chief Minister to nominate the two representatives at the earliest so that “coordination can commence without delay.”

L&T had built Phase I of the Hyderabad Metro Railway (HMR) as a public-private-partnership (PPP) project, but chose to exit the project last year following a deal under which the state government will pay Rs 2000 crore towards its equity investment and take over the project’s debt as well. After the Congress government came to power, the Chief Minister has been visiting Delhi several times to convince the Centre to take up the expansion project.