CM asks L&T to tie up fund for Metro by March

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed the progress of Rs 12,132-crore Hyderabad Metro Rail project with senior officials. Metro rail managing director NVS Reddy and L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited chief executive YM Deosthalee made presentations on the project.

The chief minister directed the state administration, HMR authorities and L&T officials to complete the formalities with banks and financial institutions to achieve finance closure in March and start the ground work on the project. He laid emphasis on an effective traffic management plan to minimise inconvenience to road users during construction of the project.

The chief minister also directed city police commissioner AK Khan to identify alternative routes along the 71-km rail route and take up traffic improvement works on an immediate basis. A special task force chaired by the chief secretary would be set up for monitoring the progress of the project on a weekly basis.

Deosthalee informed the chief minister that achieving financial closure in six months for the world’s largest metro rail project would be a record. He said about 70 reputed metro rail professionals, including many expatriates, were working on the project.

Reiterating their commitment to complete the project according to schedule, L&T asked the government to expedite the acquisition of private lands and also take up road widening to avoid hiccups.

Apart from Deosthalee, L&T Metro Rail Limited managing director VB Gadgil, senior vice-president K Venkatesh and other senior executives were present, a press release said.

...To meet Railway minister
The chief minster will meet Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee with a request to speed up the pending projects, including the introduction of some of the new trains and lines proposed for the state in the past. A press release issued by the chief minister's office said he would be meeting the Railway Minister during his visit to Delhi soon to discuss these projects besides requesting for certain new ones for inclusion in the next Railway budget.

According to the press release, the chief minister held a detailed review of the pending and proposed railway projects, including the major facelift of Tirupati railway station, on Wednesday.

The meeting noted that in spite of higher demand for MMTS services in Hyderabad, the Railways has not been able to provide sufficient number of rakes to increase the capacity. State transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana, South Central Railway general manager M S Jayanth attended the meeting.