Hyderabad Metro is crowded, but Centre sees no passengers

Union government’s reasoning that the Metro Rail is feasible in cities with less population density and not viable in Hyderabad leaves me perplexed, said KT Rama Rao

Hyderabad: In an inexplicable move, the Centre has written to the State that Phase II of the Hyderabad Metro Rail was ‘not feasible since passenger traffic would not be on expected levels’. This was when the Hyderabad Metro was operating jam-packed trains with huge crowds at Metro Stations amidst an increasing public demand for augmentation of the existing services.

Perplexed over the Centre’s illogical move, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday wrote to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, pointing out that there was a huge demand for expansion of the Metro services in Hyderabad, one of the fastest developing cities in the country. The Minister also said he was at a loss to understand the logic behind the Centre’s approval to Metro projects to cities with lesser population density like Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Agra, Prayagraj and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

“The Union government’s reasoning that the Metro Rail is feasible in cities with less population density and not viable in Hyderabad leaves me perplexed,” Rama Rao said, adding that the Centre’s version of passenger traffic not being up to the expected level was ‘absurd and meaningless’.

“When small cities and towns in Uttar Pradesh are eligible for Metro projects, why is a Metro city like Hyderabad not eligible for Phase II of the project?” he asked, adding that this was definitely discrimination towards Telangana.

Despite all the eligibility and requisite ecosystem in different fields, the Centre had not sanctioned projects to Telangana. The same was already brought to the notice of the Union government by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, yet there was no positive response from the BJP government, he said.

The State government had already submitted a Detailed Project Report with traffic growth estimates, Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic, eligibilities and feasible factors to the Centre. All these details and reports were attached with the letter written to the Union Minister for consideration.

In November last, the Minister had written to the Union Minister to accord in principle approval for the Hyderabad Metro Phase II project covering 31 km from BHEL to Lakdikapul and extending the existing Corridor 3 Metro line from Nagole to LB Nagar.

Phase II is estimated to cost Rs 8,453 crore. It was to be executed as jointly owned project by the Centre and the State government with external financial assistance.

The Minister also reminded that despite several attempts to meet the Union Minister personally to discuss the Hyderabad Metro Phase II project, there was no response from the Ministry. However, the State government was more than willing to clarify doubts and submit all the information required to the Ministry, he said.

“Given the demand for expansion of Metro service in Hyderabad, I am hopeful that the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will consider these factors and take a positive decision and sanction the Phase II project,” Rama Rao wrote.,