HYDERABAD: The second phase of Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) which has been pending for a long time has got a boost with the State government deciding to release `200 crore for its expansion. IT and MAUD K T Rama Rao on Friday said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao issued directions to the Finance department to release Rs 200 crore at the earliest for the expansion of MMTS.
After inaugurating the Shilpa Layout flyover near Gachibowli on Friday, he said the government is keen on expanding MMTS and the Metro Rail Phase-II.The State is in consultation with the Centre to accord in-principle approval for the Metro Rail Phase-II project from BHEL to Lakdikapul (26 km) and extension of Nagole to L B Nagar (five km) at a cost of Rs 8,453 crore. In a letter to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Hardeep Singh Puri, the State government has requested allocation of Rs 8,453 crore for metro rail works in the upcoming Union budget-2023-24.
‘’If the Centre continues to refuse cooperation and does not respond to our request for funds, the State government will take up the Metro Rail project on its own like phase-I’’, the minister said. He further said that the government is also keen on taking up metro rail connectivity from Mind Space, Gachibowli to the Shamshabad airport, covering 32 km.
“Due to Covid pandemic, there was impact on State exchequer. “Besides this, the Centre’s non-cooperation in releasing rightful share of funds to the State has impacted infrastructure works,” he said.
Of the 48 works proposed under the SRDP Phase-I, about 33 works have been completed in about six years. The State government has drawn up plans to take up SRDP Phase-II at an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore.
The Shilpa Layout flyover (2.8 km) is the second longest bridge after the one at Shaikpet. The under-construction Kondapur flyover will be thrown open to the public in the next nine to 10 months.
WHY WAS MMTS PHASE-II DELAYED?
A dispute between the State government and the South Central Railway (SCR) regarding sharing of costs led to the delay in commissioning of the MMTS Phase-II works. The MMTS was envisaged to provide an eco-friendly and affordable public transport system to people of Hyderabad metropolis, providing connectivity between twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and the newly developing Cyberabad and Rachakonda areas. The State Government has to provide its share of assured 2/3rd funds of the total cost of Rs 817 crore. While the State government should have paid Rs 606 crore for the project as per the agreed arrangement, it contributed only Rs 129 crore, while the Railways had spent as on date Rs 678 crore, much more than its agreed share.