Hyderabad Metro Rail: Yellow Media’s ‘Centre’s Oversight’ Gossip Busted!

Pouring cold water over the cooked up stories from anti-Telangana media, Hyderabad Metro Rail MD NVS Reddy rubbished rumors of Central Government’s intervention in the project and clarified that the works are being carried out as per the wishes and suggestions of the Telangana Government as the project is a state owned project. Here is the video showing the comments, just in case you are flooded by yellow media’s hysteria over ‘Centre taking over Hyd metro project’!

The Hyderabad Metro Rail has been the prefect case study of rumor mongering against Telangana by some sections of media in recent times. This media has been scare-mongering to show Telangana Government is hell-bent to make lives difficult for everyone, including businesses. Check this story in ToI and the mindless speculation of the writer, who by the way is adept at writing baseless rumors against Telangana even before. The story starts with a ‘blow’ and we can guess what follows next. Print media like this matched steps with what the Andhrajyothy group has been doing. They have declared the project stopped in its tracks and L&T was quitting! There is a sadistic pleasure these stories show with these gossips of disruption.

So what has lead to this latest round of wild gossips? The Centre has included Hyderabad Metro Rail in the list of projects the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) at the cabinet secretariat reviews from time to time. And why was that done? Telangana’s principal secretary S K Joshi himself said – ” The decision to bring the Hyderabad metro rail project under the purview of the PMG is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of putting in place a foolproof system to ensure hassle-free execution of projects.” Is the Metro Project alone? NO. So far, the PMG has been facilitating clearance of 215 massive projects with investment of Rs 1,000 crore and above. Those projects, which are worth more than Rs 1,000 crore, require to furnish details to various departments within the Central administration. And now the Metro Rail, worth Rs 20,000 Cr, is added to the list. Does that sound odd? No, not especially when you consider that the HMR is the largest public private partnership (PPP) mode project in the country and that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed even setting up an institution for quick redressal in projects executed through PPP model. He called it the 3p India project and allotted Rs 500 Cr in the budget. It is clear the Centre, even the previous UPA, has took up periodic review of HMR to study the execution of PPP mode and fine-tune it’s own policies. In fact, the PMG head Anil Swaroop, additional secretary, cabinet secretariat was in Hyderabad last week and he was asked straight on the ‘realignment and underground issues between State Government and HMR’. He clearly said he heard about no such issue and that there are other 7-8 problems related to usual land acquisition/clearances issues. Only couple of days ago, union minister Venkaiah Naidu was asked about the same ‘issues between State and HMR’ and if Centre would intervene. The minister said that the HMR would have to speak with State Government if they have issues implying there won’t be Centre’s intervention.

But the Anti-Telangana media clearly prays for ‘Centre’s intervention’ in every matter of Telangana and cooks up stories that it is actually happening. Little do they understand the federal structure and the rights of the State. And just in case they forgot, Telangana is already a State!! Maybe in their usual habit of writing against Telangana, they forgot it’s no more an agitation, or maybe simply can’t digest this reality!

To add more to the indigestion, some more news here: 

The HMR MD said  that the first phase between Nagole and Mettuguda will get in to operation next Ugadi festival.

Hyderabad Metro rail project has created a construction record yesterday with the erection of the 1.000th viaduct span and completion of 27 Km of metro viaduct in just 20 months. This marks completion of 38 per cent of the viaduct works (out of a total of 2,665 spans required for 72 km). Mumbai took about seven years to complete 11 km of Metro viaduct, Bangalore and Chennai took over 5 years to complete about 25 km of viaduct each; and Delhi took more than 3 years to achieve the same. And yet HMR for the yellow media is slow. In fact it stopped works a month ago!

The Hyderabad Metro Rail is carrying out a detailed survey for examining various options and is likely to submit a report to the government shortly on the contentious corridor through Sultan Bazar and Assembly. A final call on the issue will be taken by the state government. Other works are going on as usual, 38% work is completed. The State Govt is even willing to share reasonable financial burden of realignment to protect the heritage structures. Traders of Sultan Bazaar too, since the past two years, have been fighting to divert the rail from the busy shopping area as it would have left thousands of traders jobless. So the CM suggested HMR to look at alternatives. The Metro rail engineers and other officials are carrying out a detailed survey to study various alternatives and cost aspects to change the alignment at Sultan Bazaar and other heritage sites.

Come the inauguration day, this media could declare mourning!