TextEditorThe Telangana BJP has questioned the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)’s commitment to extending the metro rail line to Old City — till Falaknuma from MGBS, Imliban — as was originally envisaged, and said the latest announcement on urging the L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) was an eyewash to once again fool the people.
Senior BJP leader and former MLA Ramachandra Reddy pointed out that the government had made similar announcements earlier, since 2018. “Who is the Chief Minister [K.Chandrasekhar Rao] trying to fool? Why did he suddenly remember the pending works after a meeting with Majlis leaders? It is because elections are round the corner,” he claimed.
Addressing a press conference at the party office, Mr.Reddy sought to know what had prevented the government from taking up the old city line in the past nine years. He also questioned the delay in BHEL-Mehdipatnam metro link and Airport Metro works from Gachibowli. “SCR had to cancel tenders twice because the government did not release funds for constructing the MMTS phase-II link to Yadadri after assuring to bear two-thirds of the estimated cost of ₹438 crore,” he charged.
Mr.Reddy said the government owed an explanation to the people about why it had failed to fool-proof the city from flooding during monsoon and to provide round-the-clock potable water supply or even in treating sewage. “Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao had released a book claiming to have invested more than ₹1 lakh crore. Where has the money gone? Drinking water is not available to 20 lakh people. What happened to the reservoirs promised to be built at Shameerpet and Keshavpuram? Grand promises were made during the GHMC polls; how many have been fulfilled,” he asked.
The BJP leader said solid waste management is not up to the mark while the proposed sewage treatment plants would be able to handle about 700 million litres a day more in addition to the 700 MLD when the outflow is about 2,650 MLD while the Musi rejuvenation work is yet to begin.
