Mr. K.T. Rama Rao, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister of Telangana, assured metro services in the Old City (Hyderabad.)
On the 4th of October, Mr. Rama Rao addressed the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) at the Telangana Monsoon Assembly session. During the ongoing Monsoon session, Mr. Rama Rao answered queries regarding the development of the Old City. He said, soon there would be metro services in Old Hyderabad.
Replying to a query on Old City’s development in the Assembly, the Minister reiterated that the government was for metro rail in the Old City and it was just a 5.5 km stretch of works.
Mr. Rama Rao said, “The entire economics of Metro went haywire and it is in serious losses. They approached the government for a soft loan. The Chief Minister has formed a committee of which I am the chairman. We will discuss and soon a decision will be taken. We are committed and we will ensure it happens. Please have confidence in us. It will benefit the old and the new city.”
In addition, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) General Secretary Mr. K.T. Rama Rao said, under the Telangana Government, an amount of Rs. 14,887 crores has been spent for the development of Old Hyderabad. He said, Rs. 9,899 crores was released through the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC,) Rs. 3,794 crores through the Water Board on Old City’s development. Informing about the development under the K. Chandrashekar Rao led TRS Government, Mr. Rama Rao said, the Government had spent 4 times more than the previous Indian National Congress (INC) Government.
Comparing the investment of both the governments, Mr. Rama Rao said, in the previous Government of the INC, they spent Rs. 3,934 crores during its 10-year rule. However, under the TRS rule, the Government spent Rs. 14,887 crores, 4 times in just 8 years of rule. He even highlighted the work done under the KCR Government. He said road widening works were taken up on a large scale by the Government, for land acquisition alone, Rs. 327.65 crores were spent. In 2021, the TRS Government allocated Rs. 166 crores.
Projecting future plans for the development of Charminar and Old Hyderabad, Mr. Rama Rao said that the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) is planning to develop areas near Charminar on the lines of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
He said the Government would take up the construction of 14 new bridges. In addition, there is another proposal to convert the Sardar Mahal into a museum or a tourist place and have multi-level parking at Khilwat. The CPP, Pathargatti, Sardar Mahal and Mir Alam works would be given to the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority.
The Telangana Minister concluded the discussion over the development of the Old City. In addition, the State Government is also trying to get a World Heritage Site tag for the Seven Tombs, Deccan Park Pedestrianisation and later for Charminar.
The Telangana Monsoon Assembly Session started from the 24th of September and would conclude on the 5th of October, today.
