The decision by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to commence metro rail works in the Old City of Hyderabad on March 7 has brought cheer to residents of the area, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee senior vice-president G Niranjan has said. He also demanded an apology from the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders for their alleged attempt to obstruct the metro project for about eight years.
In a press note issued here on Sunday, the Congress senior leader said that the metro rail project, slated to begin at Falakunama in Old City, marks a significant development for the region.
“The metro services in Hyderabad were initiated back in 2017, but progress was halted at the Mahatma Gandhi bus station (MGBS) due to objections raised by the AIMIM party. Despite efforts to find an alternative route, L&T, the executing agency, faced challenges due to the expiration of the agreement period and increased project costs,” he explained.
“Majlis leaders had previously obstructed the original proposal for the Old City metro during an all-party meeting convened by the then government on December 9, 2014. This obstruction has contributed to a substantial increase in costs, with the expense from Imiliban locality to Falakunama soaring to over ₹2,000 crore. The delay in providing metro services to the Old City has drawn criticism from various quarters, including from Congress, opposition parties, and citizen forums. They have staged protests and voiced concerns over the prolonged wait for metro connectivity in the area,” he added.
