Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said he would meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the state on June 29 and seek central approval for key infrastructure projects, including the Hyderabad Metro Phase II, the Musi Riverfront Development, and the Regional Ring Road project.
While addressing a gathering at the inauguration of a new flyover connecting the city to the Outer Ring Road, the Chief Minister outlined his government’s developmental vision for Hyderabad and took sharp digs at both the BJP and the BRS, accusing them of obstructing the city’s growth.
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Reddy announced that the state government would launch a legal battle to reclaim 400 acres of land at Kancha Gachibowli, earmarked for an IT project, which is currently mired in controversy.
Criticizing Union Minister and Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy, the Chief Minister questioned what Hyderabad had gained since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. He credited former Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for initiating Phase I of the Hyderabad Metro, and PV Narasimha Rao for laying the foundation of the IT sector in the city.
Revanth Reddy lamented that Hyderabad had been discriminated against, citing how Bengaluru, Chennai, and Andhra Pradesh received central support for Metro rail projects while Gujarat was granted the bullet train. In contrast, Hyderabad Metro Phase II has yet to receive central approval. He pointed out that Hyderabad has now slipped to ninth position among Indian cities in terms of Metro network coverage.
“Why this discrimination against Telangana?” Reddy asked, while also highlighting how Gujarat received funds for the Sabarmati River project, Delhi for Yamuna, and Uttar Pradesh for Ganga cleaning, but Hyderabad’s Musi riverfront project was completely overlooked.
He reiterated, “We will meet Amit Shah during his visit to Hyderabad and request him for approval of the Metro, Regional Ring Road, and Musi riverfront projects.”
With an eye on the upcoming Jubilee Hills bypoll, which the Congress is eager to win, Reddy also announced that the newly inaugurated flyover would be named after P Janardhan Reddy (PJR), a respected labour leader and Congressman who once represented the erstwhile Khairatabad constituency, parts of which now fall under Jubilee Hills.
Notably, the Congress failed to win a single seat in Hyderabad in the last Assembly elections but is hopeful of a breakthrough in the bypoll.
