Metro Rail overcomes a biggest hurdle

Hyderabad, June 19 (INN): In a major boost to Hyderabad Metro Rail project, the Defence Ministry has now approved transfer of 2.15 acres of Defence land to HMR for construction of Parade Grounds interchange Metro station and Right of Way for Metro Rail for a length of 2.23 km in Defence areas.

The issue has been lingering on for the last four years and successive Chief Secretaries were pursuing it with Defence Secretary and Cabinet Secretary in the past. Former Chief Minister.N.Kiran Kumar Reddy also took it up with the then Defence Minister.A.K.Antony but the issue was not resolved.

On being apprised by HMR MD NVS Reddy regarding this major hurdle for the Metro project, Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao immediately took up this matter on priority and got Defence Minister's approval within a few days of formation of new governments in Telangana and at the Centre.

The Chief Minister thanked Defence Minister Arun Jaitley for his immediate approval of transfer of land and permitting Right of Way for the Metro project in the Defence areas of Secunderabad.

The Chief Minister has also thanked Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu for facilitating fast clearance of recommendatory letters by Urban Development Ministry to Ministry of Finance etc., for concessional import tariffs for equipment for the Metro project.

The Chief Minister, meanwhile, instructed NVS Reddy to bring any such major hurdles to his personal notice for immediately resolving them, so that the Metro Rail project can be completed ahead of schedule.

With the Defence Ministry's clearance, construction of Parade Grounds Metro station which is a complicated structure connecting corridor-II and corridor-III can be taken up now. Construction of viaduct of corridor-III from DCP North office in Maredpally to Secunderabad PG College (Paradise) and pillar construction from JBS to Parade Grounds can also be started.

This portion of corridor-II will have to cross over Hari Hara Kala Bhavan flyover at double elevated level which poses several engineering challenges in construction of Parade grounds interchange station and will take minimum 2 years.

As per mutually agreed terms, which were negotiated over the last few years between senior officers of the State Government and Defence Ministry, 2.15 acres of Defence land in front of Ganesh temple in Secunderabad will be handed over to HMR.

In return, HMR will transfer 1.68 acres of Old Gandhi Hospital land which is in its possession to the Army and will also construct a Sainik Aramghar admeasuring 60,000 sft on it at HMR's cost.

Located adjacent to Secunderabad Railway station, this Sainik Aramghar (Rest house) will be very useful and convenient for the Defence forces.

The Defence Ministry has also permitted usage of 3.65 acres of Defence land by HMR for construction of Metro Rail pillars and viaduct on a long term annual license fee basis as per the Defence Ministry's rates.

The Chief Minister also had a detailed meeting with Chief Secretary Dr Rajiv Sharma, MA&UD Principal Secretary Dr. SK Joshi and NVS Reddy and instructed them to ensure that no heritage structure is disturbed by the Metro Rail alignment.

The Chief Minister is keen on protecting Telangana Martyrs' Memorial at Gun Park and the view of the Assembly and Mozamjahi Market, apart from preserving the heritage value of Sultan Bazaar.

He has instructed them to make use of the services of eminent technical experts and explore different options including taking the Metro Rail alignment underground in front of Assembly and slightly diverting the alignment of corridor-II away from Sultan Bazaar.

The Chief Secretary informed the Chief Minister that efforts have been initiated by HMR authorities in right earnest to follow up CM's instructions and that different technical options are being explored.