Government committed to Metro Rail expansion in Hyderabad: KTR

HYDERABAD: Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Wednesday said that there is no need to suspect the intentions of the Government over the proposed Metro Rail expansion plans in Hyderabad.

Addressing a gathering at Hastinapuram in Hyderabad after distributing land regularisation certificates to the beneficiaries under GO 118, KTR said that several people raised similar concerns about the completion of the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project and Mission Bhagiratha Project taken up by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

“It was KCR who completed the two major projects within a short period. Similar is the case with the Metro Rail expansion plans, which is aimed at addressing the immediate commuting needs of a burgeoning population in Hyderabad with future needs in focus,” KTR said. Steps would be taken to extend the Metro between Nagole and LB Nagar at the earliest and also between LB Nagar and Pedda Amberpet, the minister said.

KTR said that the State Government would begin the distribution of double-bedroom houses constructed within Hyderabad limits from August 15, 2023, and complete the process by October 2023. “After the BRS Government came to power in Telangana, it took the responsibility of constructing houses for the poor and extending financial assistance for the marriages of poor girls under the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak scheme,” the MA&UD minister said.

Taking a dig at the opposition parties for their row over the double-bedroom housing scheme, KTR said that the opposition parties were creating an unnecessary ruckus over the distribution of the double-bedroom house in Telangana. In Hyderabad limits, the construction of double-bedroom houses was completed and the officials would allot 4,000 double-bedroom houses in every constituency in the city and complete the process by October 2023, the minister said.

KTR said that the Government was sincere towards the poor, and gave house pattas to over one lakh families in Hyderabad under GO 58 and 59. Of the total, about 11,000 house pattas were distributed in the LB Nagar constituency alone. Under GO 118, considering the economic status of the occupants and to put an end to land litigation, the State Government had decided to regularise land in 44 colonies in different parts of Hyderabad city for a nominal charge. As part of the initiative, over 18,000 families would get relief in the LB Nagar constituency, he said.

The minister also said that the State Government would soon implement the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme designed to grant Rs 3 lakh to homeless people to help them build a house on their own land. Highlighting the development programmes undertaken by the BRS Government in the LB Nagar constituency, KTR said that over 40,000 families would benefit from the implementation of welfare schemes such as double bed-room house distribution and Gruha Lakshmi.

Apart from that, flyovers, underpasses and infrastructure were developed in the constituency to ease traffic and provide a better living atmosphere for the people in the constituency. Soon, Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) super specialty hospital with 2,000 beds would also come up in Gaddiannaram to provide better healthcare for the people, KTR said.