Hyderabad: The TRS which swept the recent GHMC elections on the plank of making Hyderabad a “global city” has not given much funds to the city in the Budget.
While finance minister Etela Rajender spoke about allocating Rs 100 crore each to Khammam, Ramagundam, Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations and Rs 300 crore for the Warangal municipal corporation, there was no mention about GHMC. The Hyderabad Metro Rail got Rs 200 crore.
KTR at the helm is hope for HMR
There was also no mention in the budget about allotting the state government's share of Rs 220 crore for extension of MMTS services to Yadadri.
HMR officials had sought Rs 500 crore since the first stage of commercial operations, from Nagole to Mettuguda and Miyapur to SR Nagar, are set to begin in June this year.
With only two months left, HMR officials wanted funds to create infrastructure facilities for passengers since several Metro stations lack parking facilities and the government needs to acquire or take private properties on lease.
Besides, HMR officials have plans to beautify the roads under the viaducts on both these routes before the launch of commercial operations.
HMR needs to acquire over 65 private properties at various locations for taking up Metro construction works. It will have to pay huge compensations to property owners at par with market rates and lack of adequate funds would affect the progress of the project.
The deadline of July 2017 to complete the entire 72-km long project is fast approaching and it has managed to complete 43-km of viaducts in five years, with 29 km to be completed in the remaining 16 months.
With the Chief Minister’s son K.T. Rama Rao taking over as municipal administration minister, HMR officials hope for additional funds from the department, which got Rs 4,815 crore.
“Since the MAUD got reasonably good funds, we hope to get some funds for Metro rail. It's the MAUD which is heading the project,” said an HMR official.
