It has taken the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Cabinet Secretary to intervene and get the Defence Ministry to issue a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NoC) for allowing the Indian Railways to build a railway line through a four-kilometre stretch of the defence property under phase two of the Multi-Modal Transit System (MMTS).
This small stretch of land (Ammuguda-Sanatnagar) was hanging fire for the last three years between the South Central Railway (SCR), Telangana government and the local military authorities here as they had refused to give permission citing a previous non-payment of compensation for land acquired in the area. It could have effectively derailed the line being constructed between Moula Ali- Sanatnagar as the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) executing the work did not award the contract for the section pending approvals. Even now, they are not exactly sanguine.
“The real challenge now is to get the written permission from the local army authorities; only then can tenders be called and works can start. Otherwise this line will be delayed,” says P. Srinivas, Chief Project Manager, RVNL.
The struggle to get defence permissions is also symptomatic of the issues dogging the project which was supposed to have been taken up and completed more than a decade ago providing a much needed public transport system and perhaps, allowed the city to expand more organically.
The Railway Board sat on the proposals for a few years before finally consenting to the project. “It also helps build key rail infrastructure in sections where it would facilitate better freight traffic even while decongesting the Secunderabad railway station,” maintain senior railway officials, wishing to remain anonymous.
Whatever be the realisation, just when the works are apace there is a real danger of the project getting derailed further if the TS government does not act fast. The Railways is insisting on more funds to fulfil its part of contract in picking up the two-thirds of the cost (initial cost of ₹ 650 crore got scaled up to to ₹ 816 crore now).
Apparently, the government’s contribution has been ₹ 60 crore only whereas the railways had spent close to ₹ 400 crore. “If we don’t get funds fast, the contractor will stop work and this will only lead to avoidable delays. We have been requesting the government to expedite funding,” say senior officials.
In the meantime, South Central Railway (SCR) overseeing the work, has also sought additional funding to the tune of ₹ 189.99 crore for taking up “other line works” like new tracks, signalling, bridges and so on in the sections, thereby increasing the overall cost to about ₹ 1,000 crore.
The government has shot it down on grounds of “financial constraints” and also another proposal to procure an additional 24 cars or two trains (rakes) of nine coaches each along with six cars as a spare costing about ₹ 82 crore.
As per the original contract, the MMTS phase two is to have four rakes or trains of nine coaches each only, but the SCR wanted more in view of the projected passenger demand once services become operational.
These issues were discussed between top officials of both sides in recent meetings too. “We have had a very good meeting with Chief Secretary S.P. Singh and other officials. It’s a joint venture project so we are sorting out issues. We are going ahead with the works on assurances made. We are on target to complete a section by this year end and entire project by December 2018,” informs SCR General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav.
The 5.75-km-long Telapur-Ramachandrapuram section is scheduled to be completed and commissioned by December 2017 and entire phase two in the rest of the corridors are to be ready a year later as per the schedule finalised.
MMTS phase one was taken up following a pact between SCR and then Andhra Pradesh government in 2002-03 for upgrading the existing rail infrastructure to augment the suburban system in the twin cities to an extent of 57.54 km. Phase one was completed in 2004 at a cost of ₹ 98 crore and another ₹ 92 crore was for rolling stock or train rakes on equal cost sharing basis.
Currently, 121 train services with 16 rakes are being run daily between Secunderad-Hyderabad-Lingampally, Secunderabad-Falaknuma and about 1.70 lakh riders commute daily despite constraints like lack of proper frequency, especially during peak timings and support of feeder services in form of buses.
Project for phase two — 101.50 km cleared by the Railway Board for ₹632.68 crore and the work was taken up by the RVNL and the then government too consented to participate under the 2/3rd cost of ₹324.80 crore. Total cost was later revised to ₹816.55 crore ( SCR ₹272.18 crore and Telangana government - 544.37 crore).
MMTS phase II project is between Secunderabad-Moulali-Ghatkesar, Secunderabad-Bolarum-Medchal, Falaknuma-Umdanagar, Moula Ali-Sanathnagar, Moulali-Malkajgiri-Sitaphalmandi and Telapur-Ramchandrapuram. It involves extension, doubling, quadrupling and electrification.
Five new railway stations are coming up at Ferozguda, Suchitra Centre, Bhudevi Nagar, Neredmet and Moula Ali HB Colony.
Airport link of MMTS from Umdanagr to Shamshabad (6 km) continues to be in a limbo because the airport authorities are looking for an underground network and want the ground rail to halt 3.5 km away from the terminal. This is not acceptable to the railways and the issue is being pursued at various levels.
