Hyderabad Metro Rail Project on right track

HYDERABAD: The prestigious Hyderabad Metro Rail project is right on track and going by the authorities, commuters of Hyderabad can witness their dream come true, at least partially, by early 2015.

'It is going to be an Ugadi gift for the people of Hyderabad, as the project begins its commercial operations on that day ' March 21, 2015, between Nagole and Mettuguda.

It will prove to be a viable model as well as a reliable transportation means to the Hyderabadis, who have been waiting for the project since it was conceptualized,' HMR managing director N V S Reddy told media on Thursday. L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited chairman V B Gadgil was also present at the press conference.

The MD said L&T had so far spent Rs 3,100 crore on the Rs 16,375-crore project and the state government spent Rs 900 crore. The viability gap fund of Rs 1,458 crore made available by the Centre might be drawn next year.

The project was progressing at a brisk pace and the 8-km Phase-1 between Nagole and Mettuguda would be completed by end of 2014. He said that the HMR had already won the best engineering project award 2013 in New York and Rospa award (for safety parameters) in Glasgow, UK. 'The project is receiving worldwide appreciation,' he pointed out.

Asked if the proposed State division would affect HMR, Reddy said: 'This project is for the city of Hyderabad. It will flourish. 'The project no doubt will bring down the carbon footprint in the city and will also speed up transit of people from one place to another as the city grows.

The demand for the Metro Rail is almost guaranteed as an overwhelming majority of commuters in the city use public transport systems. The main objective of the mass rapid transit system is to provide rail-based mass transit connectivity to people as the existing road and MMTS systems are either under pressure or underserve the city travellers.

Authorities refute allegations of irregularities The project promises to ease traffic in areas where the project is being implemented.

Stretches across the city including Nagole to Mettuguda, Miyapur, S R Nagar, Meetuguda to Begumpet, Begumpet to Shilparamam, S R Nagar to Osmania Medical College, Osmania Medical College to L B Nagar and Parade Grounds to Narayanaguda will see people using the metro rail.

With international technology and supplies tied up for the project, the Metro Rail ushers a new wave of infrastructure development and improvement in quality of living in the city.

Reacting to the threat from Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrashekar Rao that the new government of Telangana State would review the Metro Rail Reddy and Gadgil said that it would not bow down to any such threats.

Reddy said that there was no truth in the allegation that valuable public land was taken away for Metro Rail. 'A few individuals are trying to distract us day in and day out, but we are not going to be cowed down in any way.

We are going ahead with a single-minded determination to complete the prestigious project as per the schedule,' he said, adding that the company was ready to face any probe in to the allegations.

Referring to KCR's allegations that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had received kickbacks from L&T for the project, Gadgil said, 'L&T is known for its ethics. No money was exchanged nor was we given an extra cent of land. Everything related to the project is available for public scrutiny,' he added.