HYDERABAD: Even as the Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) is gearing up to finalise tenders for the Airport Metro, plans are afoot to provide connectivity between the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) and the Old City.
On Thursday, in a meeting along with AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao directed HMRL managing director NV Reddy to expedite land acquisition process in the Old City Metro corridor and start construction apart from drawing plans for the extension of the line to the airport from Falaknuma.
Later, chairing a review meeting with Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari and officers on the Airport Metro and other public transport projects, Rama Rao said that by introducing more coaches and improving feeder services, the current ridership of 5 lakh per day can be doubled and vehicular congestion reduced. He instructed the departments and organisations concerned to hand over the identified government properties to HAML immediately for construction. He also directed the airport authorities to hand over 48 acres in the premises for a Metro Rail depot.
The minister asked the CS to hold periodical coordination meetings for the Airport Metro project, and also pursue with the senior officers concerned in the Government of India for approval of the BHEL-Lakdikapul & Nagole-LB Nagar (36 km) project.
He also directed the HMRL MD to start surveys of all the new Metro corridors and get preliminary reports ready in the next few months for sending them to the Centre. He advised Special Chief Secretary Finance K Ramakrishna Rao and MA&UD Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar to explore funding options for the new Metro projects. Rama Rao also instructed the Collectors of Hyderabad, Medchal and Sangareddy districts to identify vacant land parcels close to Metro stations for developing multilevel parking complexes.