Telangana CM puts Airport Metro tender on hold, wants line into Old City

CM Revanth Reddy directs HMR to prepare cost-effective alternatives for Airport Metro line from Raidurg-Shamshabad. He wants to prioritize alignments through Old City, LB Nagar & Musi river for east-west connectivity. He also wants to develop an eco-friendly mega township near Kandukur.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has put the Airport Metro line from Raidurg to Shamshabad alignment plan and the tender on hold and has directed the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) officials to quickly prepare alternative alignments from MGBS-Falaknuma and from LB Nagar via Chandrayangutta, on Wednesday night.

The HMR has been directed to prepare cost effective alternatives of taking the alignment via Mailardevpally, Jalpally and P7 Road or via Barkas-Pahadishareef and the Srisailam Road. If a straight line alignment can save costs, it can cut across the open areas of the airport premises as the entire land belongs to the government, pointed out the Chief Minister, said an official release.

Mr. Revanth Reddy expressed his dissatisfaction over the “several benefits” handed out to the metro rail concessionaire L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) despite “non-completion of the 5.5 km stretch in the Old city”, and directed the senior officers present in the meeting to get the whole matter investigated.

The Concession Agreement of L&TMRH, GMR Airport and the supplementary Concession Agreement of Metro Rail should be thoroughly examined to protect government’s interests, the Chief Minister said.

During a detailed review on the Hyderabad Metro Rail project, its expansion plans, Airport Metro project etc., at the Secretariat, he questioned the Airport Metro alignment along the ORR (Outer Ring Road) through GO111 area, where he said the scope for development was limited and already a very good transport facility in the form of ORR was present.

Mr. Revanth Reddy’s observation was that since a major part of the city’s population was in central and eastern parts and in the Old city, priority should have been given to take the Airport metro alignment through Old city from MGBS-Falaknuma; and from LB Nagar area to serve a vast majority of the common people.

Stating that his government took a balanced approach between welfare schemes and development of the city, he directed the officers to come up with a Master plan for the city, including beautification of Musi river and making use of the right of way available along it’s banks to plan for east-west road-cum-metro rail connectivity from Nagole to Gandipet, duly connecting the intercity bus terminal of MGBS.