Telangana Urban Development Minister K. T. Rama Rao on Sunday said that 74 percent of Hyderabad Metro Rail project has been completed.
He told the state assembly that metro line has been laid to an extent of 43 km in a short span of time and claimed that it is a world record for the world’s biggest metro project in public private partnership.
Replying to questions from opposition members, he denied that there is any delay or cost of the 72-km project cost escalated.
The opposition tried to blame the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for the delay in execution of works due to change of alignment proposed by it but the minister clarified that changes in the alignment at three places were mooted in January 2015.
He recalled that the agreement for the project was reached in 2010 but then government did not take necessary decisions to launch the work till 2012. He said there was no progress in the metro works till TRS came to power in Telangana state in 2014.
Rama Rao said the work was speeded up at several places by removing all the hurdles. He pointed out that it took seven – and – half years to lay metro line up to 15 km in Delhi, seven years to complete 6 km work in Bengaluru and eight years in Chennai for the same work.
The minister said under the viability gap funding for the project, the state government has to provide Rs.3,000 crore while the central government will provide Rs.1,244 crore.
L&T, the project developer, will invest Rs.12,744 crore into the project. He assured the house that the project will be completed as scheduled.
On the concern voiced by members over fare structure, Rama Rao said only 50 percent of the cost of running the metro will come in the form of passenger fare.
Congress member Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the cost of the project escalated by Rs.3,000 crore to Rs.6,000 crore due to the delay. He attributed this to the changes in the alignment at three places.
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader in assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi also voiced concern over the delay in metro works.
He clarified that MIM is not against the metro project but the government should clarify about the alignment in the old city.