HYDERABAD: Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya on Monday favoured rail connectivity to the international airport at Shamshabad. He said he would take up the issue with Union ministers for home, civil aviation and urban development and GMR too to provide MMTS connectivity to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad from Umdanagar.
Dattatreya also promised to sort out problems in Phase-2 of the MMTS, particularly regarding the Sanathanagar and Moula Ali stretch at Malkajgiri following objections from defence authorities. He said he would take up the issue with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Dattatreya was speaking to reporters here after holding a review meeting on railway projects and development works.
Due to security reasons, GMR wants MMTS away from the airport. However, the SCR is very keen on laying a track right up to the passenger terminal at the airport from Umdanagar for the benefit of passengers.
“Development is our main priority and the government is keen to have conducive and harmonious relations with all and doesn’t want to adopt confrontational path with anybody. We will try to solve the issue at the earliest’’ Dattatreya said. “We will make the management of GMR airport also partners in this. It is prestigious to help passengers reach international airport,” he added.
Replying to a query that the airport operator is not keen on rail connectivity to the airport, he said an amicable solution would be found to the issue.
The Union Minister also said he would work for securing additional funds of Rs 50 crore to the Peddapally-Karimnagar-Nizamabad line. The project is progressing well and is likely to be completed by March 2016.
Dattatreya further said he would help in the Musi river cleaning project in Hyderabad by taking it up with the Union ministries of urban development and environment. Later, Dattatreya along SCR general manager P K Srivatsava and Khairatabad MLA Chintala Ramachandra Reddy inspected the railway site at Khairatabad railway station which has been encroached by anti-social elements.
Hyderabad district collector Nirmala, HMWS&SB MD M Jagadeeshwar and officials of various departments participated in the review meeting.